This book is gratefully dedicated
to the late Ethelwynne M. Quail who in March, 1937, provided the illustrations
based upon my researches, carried out between 1921 and 1929, during which period
six books on the subject were published. Although widely projected as slides
throughout the world, the pictures themselves were not published until this
book first appeared in 1952.

Acknowledgements are gratefully
made for financial help received from Theosophists in Java, New Zealand and
America, from the Young Theosophists of Blavatsky Lodge of the Theosophical
Society, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and Dr. W. M. Davidson of Chicago
and his colleagues, who generously helped to meet the cost of publication.

I am especially grateful to my
friends Roma and Brian Dunningham for their generosity throughout many years
and the provision of much-needed stenographers.

“The philosopher should be a man
willing to listen to every gestion but determined to judge for himself. He
should not be biased by appearances; have no favourite hypothesis; be of no school;
and in doctrine have no master. Truth should be his primary object. If to these
qualities he adds industry he may hope indeed to walk within the veil of the
Temple of Nature.”

THE successful study of the
subject of the Angelic Hosts restores to its essential monotheism every
apparently polytheistic religion. At the heart of every great World Faith is
the concept of an Ab­solute, Unknowable, Infinite and Unchanging Source and
Foundation. From this, at regular intervals, emanates the potentiality of
divine Ideation as the purest abstraction. This is the reality behind the One
God, however formalised, of all religions and especially of the esotericism of
the Ancient Mysteries. At this stage in the process of emanation from the
Absolute, unity alone exists. No later changes, no series of successive
emanations from this ONE ALONE, alter the fact that the manifested Source is a
Monad.[1]

By reflection of Itself in the
eternal, pre-cosmic, virginal Space, the ONE is said thereupon to establish a
dyad[2] which is positive-negative,
male-female, potential father-mother in one Existence. It should be noted that
not an actual but a reflected “Second Person “has now come into existence, or
rather is conceived, after which numerical law assumes supreme rule of the
process of emergence or emanation and objective appearance of creative Gods in
multiplicity.

The positive and negative aspects
of the ONE interact interiorly, as an androgyne, to produce an objective Third.
This Third is not regarded as a self-separate unit, an independent existence.
Monad, dyad, triad, remain as a trifunctioning unit, a three-in-one, behind and
yet within the veil of pre-cosmic Substance.

An irresistible process has now
been initiated. An omnipotent force has begun to emanate from Absolute Exis­tence.
The Three-in-one is propelled, as it were, towards objectivity and finiteness.
The Triple God awakes and opens Its single eye. The triangle of light emits
rays. These are inevitably seven in number. Sub-rays shine from them, each an
intelligent Power, each a creative Logos[3], each an Archangel of spiritual
light.

Universal, divine Ideation
becomes focused creative thought. The single, all-inclusive Idea passes through
the phases of duality, triplicity and sevenfold expression into the almost
infinite diversity potentially present in primordial thought. The purely
spiritual has thus become manifest as the purely mental, which is formative
and, by the ceaseless action of the propellent force, projects its Ideations as
the Archetypes of Cosmoi, Solar Systems and all that they ever produce.

Numerical law, time in
succession, involutionary and evolutionary processes, replace spaceless
eternity. Divine thought sets up time-space conditions and in them produces
material forms which increase in density until a limit has been reached.
Thereafter, the whole process is reversed until limited time and space
disappear into eternity, thus bringing the great cycle to a close.

The Angelic Hosts may be regarded
as the active, creative Intelligences and form-builders of all objective
creation. They are manifestations of the One, the Three, the Seven and all
products thereof. From dawn to eve of Creative Day, they are ceaselessly in
action as directors, rectors, designers, artists, producers and builders, ever
subservient to and ex­pressive of the One Will, the One Substance and the One
Thought.

In the exoteric aspects of
ancient Faiths, these Beings, as also the underlying principles, the laws, the
processes and the modes of manifestation of the creative force are personi­fied,
named and given traditional forms. Esoterically, however, these
personifications were in no sense regarded as realities but rather as thought
forms and symbols of major creative Powers and Beings. These symbols were
partly invented by the Initiated Teachers of earlier peoples as aids to the
masses for whom abstractions could possess no reality. Generations of worship
gave to them durable concrete shapes in the mental world which served as links
between the human mind and the realities which the symbols represented. These
symbolic figures also served as channels through which the true Intelligences
could be invoked and pour down Their beneficent influence, enlightening truths
and occult forces for the helping of mankind.

These are the exoteric Gods of
all religions, not to be confused with the Hosts of the Logos, the Archangels of
the Face, the Sephiroth, the Angels of the Presence, the Mighty Spirits before
the Throne, the physically invisible yet omni­present manifestors and engineers
of the one propellent Power by which alone all things are made and without
which nothing was made that was made. From nature spirit to Cherubim, all these
Intelligences make manifest—without the intervention of individuality—the One
Divine Thought.

This is the foundation upon which
this book is con­structed. This is the idea underlying all its contents. This,
I believe, is the key to a subject so vast and so important that complete
comprehension and exposition of it are impos­sible to the purely human mind.
Continued neglect of these teachings of the Arcane Wisdom by a race which is
being led by science into knowledge and practical use of the one Creative
Force—cosmic, solar and planetary electricity—of which Angelic Hosts are the
chief and subordinate engineers, can lead to disastrous consequences, of which
the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atom bombs might possibly be regarded as foreshadowings.

This work appears as man is thus
learning to release physically, and under his control, atomic energy. Despite
my great limitations of knowledge and power of exposition, it is my hope that,
with other works on the subject of greater merit, this book may lead to the
investigation and ultimate discovery of and reverence for the noumena behind
pheno­mena and that One Presence and Power within which all things live and
move and have their being.

The safeguards which can prevent
man from self-destruc­tion by the natural forces which he is now learning to
employ are reverence, probity, morality. These qualities are amongst the
greatest of the needs of modern man as he seeks world confidence, world
security and the freedom from fear by which alone he can advance into an age
rich with promise of lofty human achievement, material, cultural, intellectual
and spiritual.

If, in addition, there is a
single idea which emerges from a study of the Gods and an attempted
presentation of the fruits of such study, that idea seems to me to be: “Man can
know the facts. Faith need not be blind.” Man is endowed with all the faculties
necessary for complete knowledge both of himself and the visible and invisible
universe. Extended vision is one of the required faculties. By its development
and use, the boundaries of human knowledge may be gradually advanced until
noumenon and phenomenon are fully investigated and ultimately known as one.

This fact is of importance, for
at heart man is a seeker, an investigator, an explorer. Human life is a search,
first for the ponderables that they may be possessed and give pleasure and
security, and later that they may be shared. At last, shattered and frustrated
by the impermanence of things tangi­ble and visible, man turns towards the
imponderables. Especially does he seek conviction founded upon immovable
reality.

Guided by the methods and the
findings of successful explorers, I have also begun to search. Whilst I think I
have found out what the ultimate discovery is, its attainment is obviously, as
yet, very far off. En
route, certain experiences have been passed through, certain
intermediate discoveries made. Since they seem to be interesting and useful in
them­selves and also have their place in reaching ultimate truth, I share them,
hoping that they may inform and help others who similarly seek.

Knowledge when substantiated is
valuable for its own sake. It is still more valuable if it can be applied to
human welfare. The present approach of science to the idea that the universe is
the product of creative thought and purpose renders valuable knowledge
concerning the realm of universal mind in which, according to occult
investigation, creative Intelligences are active.

Modern medicine proclaims the
causes of many human illnesses to be in the mind and seeks to cure them by the
cor­rection of mental disabilities. Knowledge of the inhabitants of the plane of
mind and of the agents which direct formative and corrective thought currents
can, in consequence, be very helpful in healing the sick.

Information upon these subjects
is offered in this book.

What then is the utlimate
discovery, the Himalayan summit? At the heart of the Cosmos there is ONE. That
ONE has Its sanctuary and shrine in the heart of every human being. The first
major discovery is of this Presence within, “the Inner Ruler Immortal seated in
the heart of all beings.” (Bhagavad Gita.) Ultimately identity with the ONE ALONE,
fully conscious absorption for evermore in the eternal, self- existent ALL, is
attained. This is
the goal.

As a mountaineering expedition
includes geologists, botanists, surveyors and photographers who observe for the
service of others the nature of the country, the foothills and the higher
slopes leading to the summit, so the climber in the mountains of truth may
usefully observe and describe the phenomena of the levels through which he
passes. This book is a record of such observations.

Admittedly, knowledge concerning
the Lesser and Greater Gods is not essential to the rediscovery of the
inseparable unity and the identity of man-spirit and God-spirit which is the
goal. Admittedly, also, unless used as a stepping stone from the unreal to the
Real, for some temperaments, undue interest in external phenomena, physical or
superphysical, can prove a distraction.

The controlled mind is, however,
capable of directing its attention where it will and a controlled mind is
essential to success in the Great Search. Few major attainments stand alone.
Nearly all are led up to by preceding successes and discoveries which at the
time were not necessarily regarded as leading to a greater truth. As long,
therefore, as the ulti­mate goal is remembered, a study of the results of
intermediate phases of illumination can assist, encourage, inspire and
instruct.

The pure mystic, absorbed in
contemplation of the Eternal One and in the ecstasy of union, is no longer
interested in the external. Once the capacity for contemplation has been
attained, naught else is needed. One-pointedly the exalted devotee pursues his
path to the lotus feet of the Immortal One.

Men are not all mystics, though
all must one day attain to the mystical union, each following his own road to
bliss of which there are said to be seven. Upon one of them, especially, and
possibly upon others, direct knowledge of the forces and Intelligences of
Nature and acquirement of the faculty of co-operating with them in what is
sometimes called the Great Work can be of much value. If, therefore, the
contents of such a work as this seem to some minds to be irrelevant to the true
purpose of the human life and the true nature of the human quest, I would draw
attention to the words of a Great One: “However men approach Me, even so do I
welcome them, for the path men take from every side is Mine.” (Bhagavad Gita,
IV, 11, translated by A. Besant.)

ONE day[4] as, on a hillside at the edge of
a beech forest in a secluded valley in the West of England, I was seeking
ardently to enter the Sanctuary of Nature’s hidden life, for me the heavens
suddenly became filled with light. My consciousness was caught up into a realm
radiant with that light which never was on land or sea. Gradually I realised
the presence of a great Angelic Being, who was doubtless responsible for my
elevated state. From his[5] mind to mine there began to flow
a stream of ideas con­cerning the life, the force and the consciousness of the
universe and their self-expression as angels and as men. This descrip­tion is
not strictly accurate, however, because during such communication, the sense of
duality was reduced to a mini­mum. Rather did the two centres of consciousness,
those of the angel and myself, become almost co-existent, temporarily forming
one “being “within
which the stream of ideas arose. This, I believe, is essentially true of all
inter­changes which occur above the level of the formal mind, and especially at
those of spiritual Wisdom and spiritual Will. In the latter, duality virtually
disappears and oneness, utter­most interior unity, alone remains.

Daily entering that realm of
light, I found that the great ocean of the life, the force and the soul of the
universe had its myriad denizens. These are the Spiritual Selves of men and
Super-men and the vast company of the Angelic Hosts, of which the Being who “addressed
“me was a member. He was supernally beautiful, majestic, godlike, and impassive
and impersonal to the last degree. As teacher to pupil, he began to tell of—and
to enable me, with gradually increasing clarity, to perceive—the Angelic Hosts,
their Orders and degrees. He told of their communion with men, as in ancient
Greece, Egypt and Eastern lands, their place in Nature as Ministers of the Most
High and of that great dawn of creation when, metaphorically, as the Morning
Stars they sang together and as the Sons of God they shouted for joy. He spoke of
the creative process as the composition and performance of a celestial
symphony, of the Logos as Divine Musician and of His universe as a
manifestation of celestial harmony. He told of the great Gods who assimilate
the mighty creative chords in their primordial potency and relay them through
all their ranks from the highest spiritual worlds to the realm of everlasting
Archetypes, the great sound-forms upon and by which the physical universe is
modelled. Therefrom, he said, the music of the Creative “Word “passes on to the
lower worlds, where lesser Hosts formatively echo and re-echo it, thereby
building all Nature’s varied forms. Since the Great Artist of the Universe
perpetually creates, the Creative Sym­phony is ever being composed and ever
performed. Angels and men live amidst celestial harmonies, the everlasting
music of the spheres.

Such, in part, is the vision which
once I had and which still lives with me. With it there has come the knowledge
that, in their real existence, the Gods who once were so near to men were none
other than the Angelic Hosts, that through­out the great racial darkness they
have still been near, though unperceived, and that the time approaches when
again the Major Creative Powers and Beings, the laws by which Cosmos emerges
from chaos and the place of humanity in the vast process of divine
manifestation will become apparent to mankind. For that day, it was intimated,
man may well prepare. Ugliness must be banished, war must be outlawed,
brotherhood must reign, beauty must be enshrined in human hearts and revealed
through human lives. Then to a humanity united in one fraternity the High Gods
will reveal their immortal loveliness and lend their aid in building a new
world in which all men may perceive and serve the Supreme as Beauty and as
Truth.

SINCE in this book certain familiar words
are used in a special sense and certain ideas unfamiliar to most. Western
readers are presented, this first Chapter consists of a definition of terms and
a brief exposi­tion of the philosophic basis upon which the book is founded.

THE DEITY

In Occult philosophy, the Deific Power of
the universe is not regarded as a personal God. Although imbued with in­telligence,
It is not anIntellect.
Although using the One Life as vehicle, It is not Itself aLife. Deity is an
inherent Princi­ple in Nature, having Its extensions beyond the realm of mani­fested
forms, however tenuous.

The Immanence of God is not personal,
neither is the Transcendence. Each is an expression in time, space and motion of
an impersonal Principle, which of Itself is eternal, omnipresent and at rest.

Finiteness is essential to the
manifestation of THAT which is Infinite. Ideas, rhythms and forms are essential
for the ex­pression of THAT which is Absolute. God, then, may best be defined
as Infinity and Absoluteness made manifest through finite forms. Such
manifestation can never be singular or even dual alone; it must always be
primarily threefold and secondarily sevenfold. Point, circumference and radii; power, receiver and conveyer;
knower, known and knowledge; these must ever constitute the basic triplicity
without which Absoluteness can never produce finiteness, at however lofty a
level.

Creation,
therefore, involves a change from a unity to a triplicity. In order to become
the many, the One must first become the three. The possible combinations of
three are seven. Continuance of advance from unity to diversity in­evitably involves
passage through seven modes of the mani­festation and expression of that which
essentially is one. Thus divisions arise in the One Alone. Thus beings arise
within the One Life and intelligences appear within Universal Mind, all
inherent within the Whole.

Of the
Trinity, the point is the highest because the Source. Of the Seven, the Trinity
is the highest because the parent. Thus hierarchy exists when manifestation
occurs Parent hierarchies give birth to offspring in a descending scale of
nearness to the original Source. Emanated beings in hier­archical order
inevitably come into existence when movement first occurs in THAT which of
Itself is still.

Absolute
stillness implies absolute motion, the two terms being synonymous. The
Absolute, therefore, can be both still and in motion whilst retaining
absoluteness. The finite is therefore contained within the Absolute, which in
its turn enfolds and permeates the finite. Because of this, finite be­ings have
regarded the Absolute as divine and have named it God.

The
worship of the all-enfolding and all-permeating Source of all is true religion.
To reverence the omnipresent Source and to conform to its laws of manifestation
is true re­ligious practice. To conceive the Source of all as a person, however
exalted, and to give it human attributes, is not true religion. To reverence
that false conception and live in fear of its vengeance is not true religious
practice.

Absolute
existence and absolute law—these are the highest existences and therefore are
worthy of man’s study and reverence. Finite existence and finite law are not
the highest existences and therefore are not worthy of the title “God”. They
are offspring and not parent, secondary and not primary, and their elevation to
primary rank can only lead to confusion and dismay.

Modern
man needs to emancipate himself from the delu­sion and worship of a personal,
and therefore finite, God, and to substitute therefore an impersonal and
infinite Deific Power and Law, with Deific Life as the essential Third.

Deific
Life is the vehicle of Deific Power, and Deific Law rules their combined
expression. By the instrumentation of Life, therefore, all things truly were
made. Life is the Crea­tor. Sustainer and Transformer of the Cosmos. Life
should ba reverenced in all its manifestations and such reverence of
omnipresent, ever-active Life is true religion.

What,
then, is Life to the human intellect? How may Deific Life be conceived,
perceived and worshipped—that is the supreme problem. Life may be conceived as.
The soul of form, its relationship to which is comparable to that of the sun to
the solar system. The difference between the two rela­tionships is that Life is
omnipresent and the sun has a fixed location, even though its rays pervade the
universe. Life does not send forth rays; for as the interior source of
existence, Life is all-pervading and all-penetrating.

Life is
beneficent in that by it all things are sustained. Without it, nothing can
exist that does exist. It is the Thought-Soul, the Spirit-Intelligence, of all
Creation. Vehi­cle for Power imbued with ideative thought, Life is the one
essential to existence, to evolution and to transfiguration. “Life, then, is
God and God is Life.

The
term “God” thus implies all Nature, physical and superphysical, the
evolutionary impulse imparted to it and the irresistible creative force which
bestows the attribute of self­-reproduction and the capacity to express it
indefinitely. This concept of Deity includes the creative Intelligences—the
Elohim—which direct the manifestations and the operations of the one creative
force, the divine thought or Ideation of the whole Cosmos from its beginning to
its end and the “sound” of the Creative “Voice” by which that Ideation is
impressed upon the matter of Cosmos. All these, together with all seeds and all
beings, forces and laws, including the one parent law of harmony, constitute
that totality of existence to which in this work is given the title “God”.

If so
vast a synthesis may be designated a Being, then that Being is so complex, so
all-inclusive as to be beyond the comprehension of the human mind and beyond
the possibility of restriction to any single form: for the idea of God includes
Everlasting Law, Everlasting Will, Everlasting Life, Everlast­ing Mind.

In
manifestation, “God” is objectively active. In non­manifestation, “God” is
quiescent. Behind both activity and quiescence is THAT which is eternal and
unchanging, the Absolute, Self-Existent Self. The Creative Agent re­ferred to
by various names in the world’s cosmogonies is the active expression of that
eternal, incomprehensible One Alone.

The
names “God” and “Logos” are thus used in this book to connote a Divine Being,
omnipresent as the Universal Energising Power, Indwelling Life and Directing
Intelligence within all substance, all beings and all things, separate from
none. This Being is manifest throughout the Solar System as Divine Law, Power,
Wisdom, Love and Truth, as Beauty, Justice and Order.

The
Solar Logos is regarded as both immanent within and transcendent beyond His[6] System, of which He is the threefold “Creator”,
Sustainer and Regenerator of all worlds and the Spiritual Parent of all beings.

Whether
as Principle or Being, God has been conceived in many aspects and as playing
many roles. Ancient Egyp­tian, Hellenic, Hebrew, Hindu and Christian
Cosmogonies represent Him as bringing His worlds into existence by means of the
creative power of sound. In Christianity we are told: “In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” [7] Then God spake and in six crea­tive epochs or “days”,
each followed by a period of quiescence or “night”, all worlds, all kingdoms of
Nature and all beings came into existence. As a result of this outpouring of
crea­tive energy as sound, forms appeared expressive of the divine creative
Intent, embodiments of divine Life and vehicles for divine Intelligence. Thus
God may be conceived as Celestial Composer, Divine Musician, perpetually
composing and per­forming His creative symphony; with its central theme and
myriad variations. This concept of creation by the Voice, known as the Logos
doctrine, important in the study of the subject of the Gods, is developed in
later Chapters of this book.

God has
also been poetically and mystically described as Divine Dancer. Nature—with all
its varied rhythmic motions, including the cyclic swing of planets round the
sun, terrestrial changes, the flow of river, waterfall, and stream, the
ceaseless movement of the ocean waves, the swaying of the trees and flowers,
the ever-changing forms of fire and flame, the motions of electrons around
their nuclei—is con­ceived, notably in Hinduism, as part of the great dance of
the Supreme by which all things are created and sustained.

Again,
God is variously portrayed, as Dramatist whose stage upon which the drama of
life is played is the Solar Sys­tem; as Weaver, whose many-coloured tapestry,
Nature and all her sons, is woven on the loom of time and space; as Gar­dener,
with the Angelic Hosts as husbandmen, the universe His garden sown with every
kind of seed of His own creating, and every one destined to produce its own
facsimile of Him­self. He further is regarded as Architect and Engineer, Geo­metrician
and Scientist, Magician and Ceremonialist with the universe as a temple of many
shrines in which creative rituals are perpetually performed. A still higher
conception reveals Him as Spiritual King, Divine Emperor, ruling through His
hierarchy of ministers His Solar Empire. All beings are His subjects over whom
He presides with all-inclusive knowledge and wisdom all-embracing. All these He
is and doubtless far more—Creator, Preserver, Transformer of the universe,
Spiritual Parent of all its inhabitants.

“A
man’s idea of God is that image of blinding light that he sees reflected in the
concave mirror of his own soul, and yet this is not in very truth God, but only
His reflection. His glory is there, but it is the light of his own Spirit that
man sees, and it is all he can bear to look upon. The clearer the mirror, the brighter will be the
divine image. But the external world cannot be witnessed in it at
the same moment. In the ecstatic Yogin, in the illuminated Seer, the spirit
will shine like the noon-day sun; in the debased victim of earthly attrac­tion,
the radiance has disappeared, for the mirror is obscured with the stains of
matter.” [8]

THE EVOLUTIONARY PLAN

From
these concepts of the Deity there emerges inevitably the idea of a divine
purpose, a great plan. That plan is as­sumed throughout this book to be
evolution, but not of form alone. The word “evolution” is herein used to
connote a process which is dual in its operation, spiritual as well as material,
and directed rather than purely natural or “blind”. This process is understood
to consist of a continuous develop­ment of form accompanied by a complementary
and parallel unfolding of consciousness within the form.

Although
man cannot completely know the evolutionary plan -from his Superiors, Sages and
Spiritual Teachers throughout the ages he learns that the motive is to awaken
and bring to fulfilment that which is latent, seedlike, germinal. Divine Will,
divine Wisdom, divine Intellect and divine Beauty, these are latent in all
seeds, Macrocosmic and microcosmic. The apparent purpose for which the universe
comes into exis­tence is to change potentialities into actively manifested
powers.

On
Earth, for example, for each of the kingdoms of Nature there is a standard or
ideal which is dual, as is the evolutionary process. The ideal for
consciousness in the mineral kingdom is physical awareness and for form, hard­ness
and beautv. For plant consciousness the ideal is sensi­tivity, capacity to
feel, and for the plant form, beauty. For animal consciousness, it is
self-consciousness of feeling and thought, and for animal form it is beauty.
For man the evo­lutionary goal is the complete unfoldment and expression of his
inherent divine powers—will to omnipotence, wisdom to omnipresence and
intellect to omniscience. In the “perfect” man or Adept, these powers are
expressed in fully conscious unity, and therefore perfect co-operation, with
the Creator of all in the fulfilment of His plan.

Human
perfection attained, superhuman ideals present themselves. We as men can but
conceive of the nature of these by the aid of analogy and the little that the
Supermen Themselves have in these days permitted us to know. We may conceive
these ideals to be: to compose and perform per­fectly with God the great
symphony of creation; to produce and enact with Him the drama of life; to weave
with and for

Him,
consciously contributing to the perfection of His great design; to till His
garden with Him, tending His plants of the fullness of their flowering; to
manage as Heads of Depart­ments, the organisation which is His Solar System; to
build with Him His temple of the universe and, as Principal Officers, to enact
therein great rituals of creation; to serve as Regents and Ministers in the
Solar and Planetary Governments through which He, as Solar Emperor, administers
His wide dominions beneath the stars. This in part, we may assume, is God’s
plan for Supermen, and indeed for all, since the attainment of superhumanity is
the destiny of all:

“the one far-off divine event

towards which the whole creation moves.”

CREATION

The
emergence and subsequent development of a uni­verse and its contents is
regarded in occult science as being less the result of an act of creation,
followed by natural evo­lution, than a process of emanation guided by
intelligent Forces under immutable Law. The creation or emergence of universes
from nothing is not an acceptable concept, all being regarded as emanating from
an all-containing, Source- less Source. This Source is regarded as triune,
consisting of pre-cosmic spirit, pre-cosmic matter and eternal motion. This
doctrine is further expounded in Part II of this book.

SEERSHIP

As part
of the unfoldment of the human intellect into omniscience, the development
occurs at a certain stage of human evolution of the faculty of fully-conscious,
positive clairvoyance. This implies an extension, which can be hast­ened by
means of self-training, of the normal range of visual response to include both
physical rays beyond the violet and, beyond them again, the light of the
superphysical worlds.

The
mechanism of supersensual vision and the process of its development are
referred to in the descriptive matter accom­panying Plate 28. It is important
to differentiate between the passive psychism of the medium, and even the extra
sen­sory perception (ESP) of parapsychology, [9]and the positive clairvoyance of the student of
Occultism. This latter, com­pletely under the control of the will and used in
full waking consciousness, is the instrument of research with which during the
past thirty years I have endeavoured to enter and explore the Kingdom of the
Gods.

THE GODS

This
term is used throughout this book to denote, not the symbolic images to which
the title was given by ancient peoples, but hierarchical Orders of
Intelligences, quite dis­tinct from man in this Solar System, but who either
have been or will be men. Information concerning their immense­ly varied nature
and functions forms the subject matter of the third Chapter of Part I and
succeeding Chapters of this book. Part V consists of illustrations and
descriptions of various types of Gods, as they have appeared to me when
attempting to study them by means of extended vision.

Eastern
peoples, as well as numerous members of the Keltic and other naturally psychic
races, are familiar with the idea of the existence of the Gods. In the East
they are called devas[10], a Sanskrit word meaning “shining ones” and referring
to their self-luminous appearance. They are regarded as omnipresent,
superphysical agents of the Creative Will, as directors of all natural forces,
laws and processes, solar, inter­planetary and planetary.

For
these beings the term “the Gods” is chiefly employed in this work. The
Kabbalistic term “Sephira” is used in Part III. Deva occurs occasionally, as does its
useful adjec­tive devic,
which applies equally to Archangels, angels and nature spirits. Certain types of
Gods, associated more close­ly with man than with Nature, are referred to as “angels”,
the four terms being used synonymously. The three main stages of devic
development have each their own names. Na­ture spirits, like animals and birds,
are actuated by a group- consciousness shared with others of the same genus.
Gods, Sephiras, devas
and angels, have evolved out of group con­sciousness into separate
individuality, as has man. Arch­angels, especially, have transcended the
limitations of indivi­duality and have entered into universal or cosmic
conscious­ness, as has the Superman or Adept.

*
* * * *

Before
proceeding to a fuller consideration of the nature, the functions and the
activities of the Gods, I offer an answer to those who quite naturally will
ask: “Where is the proof of their existence?” Of concrete, demonstrable proof of
the fruits of mystical experience there can be none. Of evidence for mystical
states of consciousness, in which supersensual facul­ties may operate, and for
the existence of the superphysical worlds and their inhabitants, there is an
abundance. Most universal and enduring of this evidence is the folklore of all
nations. Throughout all time of which records exist, men have borne testimony
to their perception of forces, pheno­mena and beings not normally visible.
Despite wide separa­tion both in time and space, there is a remarkable
resemblance between the myths, the legends and the folklore of the various
peoples of the earth. This universality, similarity and per­sistence through
the ages of belief in the Gods and the King­dom of the Gods is strong evidence,
I submit, for the existence of a kernel of reality within that belief, a basis of
fact upon which folklore is founded.

Added
to this is the testimony of those who have made both a science and an art of
the process of self-illumination called in the East “yoga”. The followers of
this, the oldest and greatest of the sciences, the science of the Soul, aver
that extension of visual and auditory power and mastery of the forces, first of
one’s own nature and then of Nature herself, can be deliberately and
consciously achieved. Anyone, they say, who will fulfil the necessary
conditions, who will obey laws as certain in their operation as those to which
the chemist subscribes in his laboratory, can pierce the veil of matter which
normally hides from view the eternal, spiritual realities, as the veil of day
conceals the ever-shining stars.

In
individual experiment and individual investigation alone is proof to be found.
Whilst demonstration is admit­tedly impossible, test by personal research is
not. That test I have attempted to apply, and this book is in part a record of
my own findings. Whilst all are entitled to question, only those, I submit, who
have similarly experimented and ex­plored, have the right to deny.

THE ATOM OF SCIENCE

THE pronouncements of some modern
scientists con­cerning the nature and construction of the material universe
coincide very closely with the teachings of occult philosophy throughout the
ages. The quest for truth, directed in this age by physical scientists, is
leading away from the materialistic and towards the transcendental outlook. The
mechanistic view of scientific phenomena is being discarded, and the method of
explaining them by the construction of models has come to be regarded as a hind­rance
rather than an aid to understanding. In one generation physical science has
turned its back upon the mechanistic view and upon such models. Sir James Jeans
states:

“A review of modern physics has
shown that all attempts at mechanical models or pictures have failed and must
fail. For a mechanical model or picture must represent things as happening in
space and time, while it has recently become clear that the ultimate processes of
nature neither occur in, nor admit of representation in, space and time.” [11]

Within
living memory, the foremost men of science were proclaiming that in matter was
to be found the promise of life. That dictum has since been reversed. The atom
as a material particle has itself been found capable of subdivision. All
substance is now said to be composed of discrete units of electricity of
differing polarities, like minute grains of sand. The structure of all atoms is
at present regarded as being similar. Their shape can be taken as spherical and
their mass is concentrated at their centre. This nucleus is composed of
neutrons and protons, the former being neutral or uncharged particles and the
latter being charged with positive electricity; it is surrounded by an
electrical field formed of a planetary system of negatively charged particles,
moving in round or elliptical paths or orbits and called electrons.

The
relatively simple concept of the atom, in which all protons and neutrons are in
the nucleus and all electrons are outside of it is by no means final. Evidence
is appearing for the existence of other elemental particles. Whilst the whole
universe is regarded as being composed of atoms and every atom known up to now
has consisted of combinations of the above basic particles, other types of
particles have been discovered. One of these is the positron or positive
electron which has the mass of an electron. The neutron is suspected to be a
proton-electron pair, a close combination of protons and electrons. The meson,
throught by many to be the agent of cohesion in all substance, has been
discovered in cosmic rays.

These
discoveries of protons and neutrons in the nucleus are leading directly towards
the view of occult science, that all matter is an extremely concentrated, “crystallised”
or “frozen” form of energy. The Einstein equation, further evidence for the
correctness of which was provided by the atomic bomb, is E = MC2,
with E as the energy in ergs, M the mass in grams and C the speed of light in
centimetres per se­cond. Sir James Jeans in Physics and Philosophy, p. 200, writes:

“For the materialists, space was filled with
real particles, exercising on one another forces which were electric or
magnetic or gravitational in their nature; these directed the motions of the
particles and so were respon­sible for all the activity of the world. These
forces were of course as real as the particles they moved.

“But the physical theory of relativity has
now shown that electric and magnetic forces are not real at all; they are mere
mental constructs of our own, resulting from our rather misguided efforts to
understand the motions of the particles. It is the same with the Newtonian
force of gravitation and with energy, momentum and other concepts which were
introduced to help us understand the activities of the world.”

Thus,
the idea of the structure of matter becomes more and more abstract. The
electron itself, for example, is not re­garded only as a discrete, spherical
body moving in geometri­cal paths. Another way of picturing particles is as
waves which concentrate in volumes corresponding to or centred round the above
paths. The concept is rather—strange though it appears to the lay mind—” more
analogous to a noise which is spread throughout a certain region ... a kind of
disturbance in the aether, most intense at one spot and diminishing very
rapidly in intensity as we move away from this spot.” {The ABC of Atoms,
Bertrand Russell.)

Occult science adds to this the
existence of “but one indi­visible and absolute Omniscience and Intelligence in
the Uni­verse, and this thrills throughout every atom and infinitesimal point of
the whole Kosmos… There is design in the action of the seemingly blindest
forces.” {The Secret
Doctrine, H. P. Blavatsky, Adyar Edition, Vol. I, p. 320.) “Each
particle—whether you call it organic or inorganic—is a life.” (p. 305) “The
‘breath of Heaven’ or rather the breath of Life. ...is in every animal, in
every animate speck and in every mineral atom.” (p. 260). This breath of Life
is defined as Cosmic. Electricity, the Force that formed the universe, the
noumenon of such “manifestations as light, heat, sound, adhesion and the
‘spirit’ of Electricity, which is the Life of the Universe.” (p. 195) For the
occultist the One Life is an objective reality: “We speak of a septenary scale of
mani­festation, which begins at the upper rung with the One Un­knowable
Causality, and ends as Omnipresent Mind and Life, immanent in every atom of
Matter.” (p. 196)

UNIVERSAL
MIND

The
occult teaching of the existence of a Universal, Directive Intelligence
receives support from certain men of science, if not from all. Sir James Jeans
in The Mysterious
Universe writes:

“We discover that the universe shows evidence
of a designing or con­trolling power that has something in common with our own
individual minds. . . (p. 137)

“The Universe can be best pictured... as
consisting of pure thought, the thought of what, for want of a wider word, we
must describe as a mathematical thinker.” (p. 124)

“A thought or idea cannot exist without a
mind in which to exist. We may say an object exists in our minds while we are
conscious of it, but this will not account for its existence during the time we
are not conscious of it. The planet Pluto, for instance, was in existence long
before any human mind suspected it, and was recording its existence on
photographic plates long before any human eye saw it. Considerations such as
these led Ber­keley to postulate an Eternal Being, in whose mind all objects
existed. . . . Modern science seems to me to lead, by a very different road, to
a not alto­gether dissimilar conclusion.” (pp. 125-6)

Sir
Arthur S. Eddington has stated:

“Something Unknown is doing we don’t know
what—that is what our theory amounts to. . . . Modern physics has eliminated
the notion of substance. . . . Mind is the first and most direct thing in our
experience. ... I regard Consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as
deriva­tive from Consciousness. . . . The old atheism is gone… Religion be­longs
to the realm of Spirit and Mind, and cannot be shaken.”

J. T.
Sutherland, writing in The Modern Review (of Cal­cutta) for July, 1936, quotes the
following[12]

Einstein: “I believe in God . . . who reveals
Himself in the orderly harmony of the universe. I believe that Intelligence is
manifested through­out all Nature. The basis of scientific work is the
conviction that the world is an ordered and comprehensible entity and not a
thing of chance.”

J. B. S. Haldane: “The material world, which
has been taken for a world of blind Mechanism, is in reality a Spiritual world
seen very partially and imperfectly. The only real world is the Spiritual
world. . '. . The truth is that not Matter, not Force, not any physical thing,
but Mind, personality, JS the central fact of the Universe.”

Kirtley F. Mather, geologist, Harvard: “The
nearest approach we have thus far made to the Ultimate, in our analysis of
Matter and of Energy, indicate that the Universal Reality is Mind.”

Similarly,
in psychology the brain is no longer regarded as a satisfactory model of the
mind, a mechanism of concrete particles which constitute the whole machinery of
thought. The brain is now looked upon by many as an instrument, thought a
separate energy which drives it.

Dr.
Kennedy’s A. Walter Suiter lecture, Buffalo, April 29, 1941, published in the New York State Journal of
Medi­cine, October 15th, 1941, contained the following,
reproduced in Main
Currents in Modern Thought,[13] November 1941:

“. . . The notion of ‘space-empty’ or
‘space-ethereal’ has today been abandoned, and Nature is now viewed as Energy,
patterned into Worlds, patterned variously also for every stick, stone, or bit of
life upon them. Man thus becomes one with his environment, which pervades him
wholly and into which he extends himself hugely; born according to his manner,
he holds his unique pattern as a momentary opportunity for experience; a stream
of creative continuity, with aim.

“Anywhere where vitality exists, aim is
found. A primitive con­sciousness exists as‘purpose’ in every living cell and
organized itself as struc­ture; this primitive mind becomes specialized, layer
upon layer, super-seg­ment upon super-segment, into complicated reflexes, later
more complicated instincts, and later, still more complex emotional tones and
feelings, integra­ted and channelled for expression through thalamus and
hypothalamus. Finally, there has been added the neopallium, the new brain, more
and more exquisitely integrated—a concatenation of such ordered representation
and swift activity that through it primitive power can eventually appear even
as the gift of critical discrimination. Slowly, too, this primitive cellular
power is distilled into a sense of spatial, and temporal relationship. Up to
the pre­sent of evolutionary time, the highest product of this captured,
specialized, focused Energy of Cosmic Origin is our self-awareness,
self-direction, power of surmise, the power of speculative imagination which
almost denies the Universe itself for Boundary—all radiated, implemented, and
sometimes disturbed, by Emotion.”

“Purpose is mediated by protoplasm. Our
consciousness is an enor­mous amplification of early purpose as primitive as
tropism[14], and it is raised to its highest form and focused for its greatest
good by the contrivance of symbolism and imagery and the invention of the tool of
speech. This dis­tillate of consciousness is thus focused into self-awareness.
Such achieve­ment is nothing but the flowering of the aim, drive, and purpose,
innate and part and parcel of every cell in our bodies.”

Referring
again to J. T. Sutherland’s article, one finds the following quotations:

Robert A. Milliken, physicist. Institute of
Technology, Pasadena: “God is the Unifying Principle of the universe. No more
sublime conception has been presented to the mind of man, than that which is
presented by Evo­lution, when it represents Him as revealing Himself, through
countless ages, in the age-long inbreathing of life into constituent Matter,
culminating in man with his Spiritual nature and all his God-like powers.”

Sir James Arthur Thomson (The Great Design.) “Throughout
the World of Animal Life there are expressions of something akin to the Mind in
ourselves. There is, from the Amoeba upwards, a stream of inner, of subjective life; it may be only
a slender rill, but sometimes it is a strong cur­rent. It includes feeling,
imagining, purposing, as well as occasionally thinking. It includes the Unconscious.”

Of the
nature and origin of these forces science as yet says little, but the movement of
scientific thought is away from the concrete and towards the abstract. This is
parallel with the evolution of human intelligence, the direction of which is
through the analytical and concrete towards the devel­opment of the faculties of
synthesising and abstract thinking. As an illustration of this, the idea is
beginning to dawn that time itself is typical of the kind of material of which
the phy­sical world is built. In thus probing external phenomena to their
depth, the scientist and the mathematician fall back upon symbols and equations
as their only means of expressing their discoveries. Solid substance has melted
into a shadow. Only mathematical equations and flowing forces remain.

What is
the next step likely to be? The latest pronounce­ments, as indicated by the
above quotations, show that certain men of science—admittedly not all—are
beginning to postu­late mind as the ultimate reality. Sir James Jeans in his
book The Mysterious
Universe also says (the italics throughout being mine):

“To my mind, the laws which nature obeys are
less suggestive of those which a machine obeys in its motion than of those
which a musician obeys in writing a fugue, or a poet in composing a sonnet. The
motions of elec­trons and atoms do not resemble those of the parts of a
locomotive so much as those of the dancers in a cotillion. And if the ‘true
essence of substances’ is forever unknowable, it does not matter whether the
cotillion is danced at a ball in real life, or on a cinematograph screen, or in
a story of Boccaccio. If all this is so, then the universe can be best
pictured, although still veryimperfectly and inadequately, as consisting of pure
thought, the thought of what, for want of a wider world, we must describe as a
mathematical thinker. (pp. 123, 124)

. . in the stately and sonorous diction of a
bygone age, he (Berkeley) summed up his philosophy in the words:

“‘All the choir of heaven and furniture of
earth, in a word all those bodies which compose the mighty frame of the world,
have not any subs­tance without the mind. ... So long as they are not actually
perceived by me, or do not exist in my mind, or that of any other created
spirit, they must either have no existence at all, or else subsist in the mind of
some Eternal Spirit.’” (p. 126)

“Today there is a wide measure of agreement,
which on the physical side of science approaches almost to unanimity that the
stream of knowl­edge is heading towards a non-mechanical reality; the universe
begins to look more like a great thought than like a great machine. Mind no
longer appears as an accidental intruder into the realm of matter; we are
beginning to sus­pect that we ought rather to hail it as the creator and
governor of the realm of matter—not of course our individual minds, but the
mind in which the atoms out of which our individual minds have grown exist as
thoughts. . . .

“We discover that the universe shows evidence
of a designing or con­trolling power that has something in common with our own
individual minds— not, so far as we have discovered, emotion, morality, or,
aesthetic apprecia­tion, but the tendency to think in the way which, for want of
a better word, we describe as mathematical. And while much in it may be hostile
to the material appendages of life, and also is akin to the fundamental
activities of life; we are not so much strangers or intruders in the universe as
we at first thought. Those inert atoms in the primeval slime which first began
to foreshadow the attributes of life were putting themselves more, and not
less, in accord with the fundamental nature of the universe.” (pp. 137, 138)

This,
if the concept be added of individual Intelligences, Archangelic and angelic
embodiments of the “great thought”, might well have been written by an exponent
of occult philosophy. It is, however, but just to quote also Sir James Jeans’s
further words, “that everything that has been said and every conclusion that
has been tentatively put forward, is quite frankly speculative and uncertain”,
(p. 138)

THE SOURCE OF KNOWLEDGE

The
position of the occultist, on the other hand, is some­what different. The
age-old teachings of occult science are founded, not upon speculations but upon
the continually repeated, direct observations of highly trained occult investi­gators.
With the inner eye itself fully operative and the technique of its use fully
developed as a result of training under their Adept seniors in evolution, these
seers perceive direct the phenomena of Nature on all planes of existence and
corroborate the findings of their brother seers who have gone before. For this
reason, “to the Occultists who believe in the knowledge acquired by countless
generations of Seers and Initiates, the data offered in the Secret Books are
all sufficient”.[15]

The
assertions of occult science are “made on the cumu­lative testimony of endless
series of Seers who have testified to this fact. Their spiritual visions, real
explorations by, and through psychical and spiritual sense untrammelled by
blind flesh, were systematically checked and compared one with the other, and
their nature sifted. All that was not corroborated by unanimous and collective
experience was rejected, while that only was recorded as established truth
which, in various ages, under different climes, and through­out an untold
series of incessant observations, was found to agree and receive constantly
further corroboration.

“The methods
used by our scholars and students of the psycho-spiritual sciences do not
differ from those of students of the natural and physical sciences. Only our
fields of re­search are on two different planes, and our (Theosophical)
instruments are made by no human hands, for which reason, perchance, they are
only the more reliable.” [16]

Even
so, such teachings of occult science as are offered to the general public are
invariably presented as ideas for consideration, and never as dogmas
representing final truths. Above all things, free enquiry is insisted upon by
those who practise and teach the methods of occult science.

THE MINERAL KINGDOM

THE manner of the original creation or
physical formation of mineral substances, whether crystalline and capable of
crystallisation or amorphous (colloidal) is as yet unknown to science. In offering
the results of attempted observations of the process. I do not for a moment
presume to have solved this problem. If what fol­lows is of any worth, it may
perhaps be regarded as the obser­vations of a single onlooker which may later
be found to have some validity.

The
existence of physical agencies is partly, but not wholly, sufficient to account
for the appearance of minerals. They are known to be functions of heat and
pressure in certain ratios and aqueous vapours, but why a substance
crystallises, generally into a characteristic geometrical form or molecular
arrangement, is, as yet, unknown. Crystals of regular design always appear when
a solution of substance is allowed to evaporate and the same substance usually
assumes the same crystal form, e.g. salt in cubes, alum in octahedra,
nitre in prisms. The term growth is applied to minerals, but this is not
regarded as being the result of the addition of newly form­ed substance but
rather of the activity of external agencies which change the contents. The
majority of crystalline minerals pre-existed and were gradually deposited in
rocks by percolating water or from the molten state as the earth cooled down.

THE LOGOS DOCTRINE

One
part of the explanation offered by Theosophy con­sists of one aspect of what is
called the Logos Doctrine. In one sense, and as far as my understanding goes,
this implies the emission of a formative or shape-producing electro-spiri­tual
energy—the noumenon of physical electricity—of the order or quality of sound, a
soniferous creative force or Word, a creative chord. In terms of frequency of
oscillation, the notes of this chord are expressive of the component ideas of
an archetype pre-conceived and held in the major Creative Mind throughout Manvantara.[17]This archetypal idea partly serves as
a dynamic model in the superphysical worlds for the shaping of etheric and
physical matter into the conceived pattern. This is the source of the impulse
which causes in­organic and organic substance to assume geometrically- governed
forms and of the organising, pattern-assuming characteristic of protoplasm.

THE BUILDERS

My own
observations suggest that the form-producing process is aided by the actions of
Hierarchies of Creative Intelligences—Archangels and their angel hosts—who, as
embodiments of Universal Intelligence, know the design or archetypes and, by
allying themselves with the Word-force, enhance or amplify its formative
capacity. These Beings live in the superphysical worlds and act perpetually as
form- moulding agencies, according to the Word. It should be understood that
the terms spiritual and superphysical do not imply spatial separation from the
physical universe. Matter at every degree of density co-exists spatially, the
finer interpenetrating the denser. The laboratory of Nature and its “engineers”,
“artists” and “chemists” are within physical sub­stance, somewhat as Hertzian waves are
transmitted through the air and an electrical current along a wire. Both
protyle [18]and protoplasm are “charged” from
within by an indwelling, immanent, thought-directed, creative, formative
Life-force.

At the
etheric-physical level, the Hierarchies of Creative Intelligences are
represented by the minor builders of form, the nature spirits, the Sephiroths
in miniature, who operate instinctually, largely by playing along the lines of
force— stimulating to them—which form the geometrical patterns set up in the
all-pervasive ether by the emitted and vibrating THOUGHT-WORD-FORCE.

THE” WORD”

In
Chapter I the concept was presented of the Logos as Musician and the continuous
process of creation as the per­formance of a great symphony. This, “the Great
Work”, He conceived and developed in earlier creative “Days’[19], and perchance perfected it in the silence and
darkness of inter­mediate, creative “Night”. When once more there is to be
light, He “speaks” and by the power of His “Word” brings all things into being.
This first expression of the “motif” of the new universe is “heard” or
responded to by virgin matter, and the planes of Nature with their forms and in­habitants
gradually appear. Into these the Logos pours forth perpetually His Life that
they may live, this being His continuous sacrifice, His everlasting oblation.

The
Logos or Verbum
is, in reality, no word or voice of any Being. It is pure Will expressive of
the presumed purpose or intent of the divine Father-Mother in bringing forththe Universe. It is the irresistible,
all-pervasive, inherent impulse to self-expression, expansion (hence
the name of Brahma, from the Sanskrit word brih, to expand and grow) and fullness
which reigns at the heart of all Nature and all Creation from the highest to
the lowest. It is the will to fullness which “sounds forth” at that Cosmic
moment when divine Ideation is first emanated as Will-Light from the Absolute.

Throughout
the Cosmic Days and Years which follow, that Will-Light calls into existence
suns, planets, beings, in obedience to law. Level after level and plane after
plane of increasing density come into existence and gradually embody and show
forth the Will-Light. Monads flash forth their Rays. Beings are emanated and
inhabit the planes. Deeper and deeper penetrates the Cosmic Will-Thought-Word,
awakening the sleeping substance, forcing its atoms to answer, to embody and
echo, or re-sound, the Cosmic Word. The Light shines forth from the Centre to
illumine the darkness and render visible the hitherto invisible robes in which
the All-Mother is enwrapped.

The
Will becomes more potent. The Sound of the Word becomes louder and the Light
becomes brighter as the Aeons pass. The Monads become more radiant and their
forth- flashed Monadic Rays wider and more brilliant. The denser regions assume
the intended forms. The outer darknesses give way to Light, and where once
there was Chaos, divine Order rules.

In each
and every being thus called into existence as dweller and toiler in the created
worlds, the Cosmic processes are, microcosmically, reproduced and fulfilled in
parallel. As the whole responds so does every part. In man, as one such dweller
and toiler in the worlds, the inertia and silence inherent in matter give place
to rhythmic motion and to the “heard” and “answered” creative Voice. In man, as
in uni­verse, darkness is displaced by light.

The
universal “Word” when uttered becomes manifest as myriads of chords, each a
coherent, self-existent sound with its force and light manifestations. Each
chord appears as a relatively changeless, abstract form, Archetype or divine
idea, in the higher worlds of each of the planets. These Arche­types in their
turn sound their “word”, “relaying” into the lower worlds the primal
Word-force. Magnetic fields are set up therein, matter is drawn into them and,
with the aid of the Gods, is moulded into evolving forms. These forms, vivified
by divine Life, become the abode of intelligences (the Monads) at the mineral,
plant, animal, human and super­human phases of development. As a result of
experience in the forms, these intelligences, assisted by the Gods, gradually
unfold their innate faculties and powers until the degree of development set
both for them and for the forms has been attained. The Gods are thus conceived
both as builders of form and assistants in the evolution of consciousness.

When
this standard has been reached by all beings and, in obedience to the law of
cycles, the time limit of objective manifestation has been attained, the whole
Solar System is withdrawn into the subjective state. In this condition it re­mains
until under the same cyclic law it reappears and the pro­cess of development or
ascent is continued from the point reached at the close of the preceding period
of objective mani­festation. Occult philosophy sees this process as continuing
indefinitely, there being no limit to the evolutionary possi­bilities. This
orderly progression has no conceivable begin­ning and no imaginable end.

CREATIVE HIERARCHIES

The
creative energies of which all forms are the product, first emitted as sound by
the utterance of the “Word”, may be thought of as arising from a
central, spiritual Source, repre­sented physically by the sun. At their source,
these energies have tremendous potency. The whole race of the Gods from the
Solar Archangels to the planetary angels serve somewhat as electrical
transformers. They receive into themselves the primordial, creative power, and
as if by resistance to its flow reduce its “voltage”. From the Solar Gods it
passes through their lesser brethren, rank upon rank, until it reaches the phy­sical
worlds. There, with the assistance of the nature spirits, it throws matter into
shapes conceived by the Creative Mind.

The
capacity of sound to produce forms may perhaps find support from sonorous
figures which can be formed by the vibrations of substance emitting a musical
tone. Geometri­cal figures are, for example, formed by sand on a plate of glass
or metal when the bow of a violin is drawn along the edge. Ernst Florens
Friedrich Chladni (1756-1827), a Ger­man physicist, produced geometrical
acoustic figures which were formed by the nodal lines in a vibrating plate,
made visible by sprinkling sand on a plate, where it settles on the lines of
least resistance. Jules A. Lissajous, a French scientist (1822-1880),
produced figures formed by curves due to the combination of two simple harmonic
motions. They are commonly exhibited by the successive reflections of a beam oflight
from the prongs of two tuning forks or by the mecha­nical tracing of the
resultant motion of two pendulums as in a, harmonograph, or by means of Wheatstone’s
rods. Lissa- jous also produced figures given by a horizontal and a vertical
tuning fork vibrating simultaneously. The figures differ when the forks are
either in unison or at varying differences of phase and of notes apart. If the
capacity of physical sound to produce forms may also be attributed to sonorous
creative energy or Word-force emitted at superphysical levels, then the Logos
Doctrine finds some scientific support.

The
Order of the Gods who thus assist the Logos in the process of the production of
evolving forms by the utterance of the “Word”, are known as the Builders. The
members of the higher ranks of this Order—one race of which is known in
Hinduism as the Gandharvas
or Gods of Music[20]—are aware of the creative intent,
perceive and know the Archetypes or divine ideas. By self-unification with the
descending Word-force, particularly with such streams as are vibrating at
frequencies which are identical with those of their own nature, they amplify
them and consequently augment their form-producing power. For within the Order of
the Builders are hierarchies which are manifestations of those chords in the
creative “Word” of which the Archetypes and forms are expressions. This
affinity of vibration draws the particular hierarchy into its appropriate field
of work as form-builders in the four kingdoms of Nature.

Gold,
for example, may be regarded as the physical pro­duct of creative energy
vibrating at the frequency at which gold is manifest in terms of force. Gold,
as also all sub­stances, is represented in the creative “Word” as a chord,
which is the expression in terms of sound of the divine idea of gold. This
Word-force is emitted from the spiritual Source and, impinging upon virgin matter,
by processes previously described, causes it physically to assume the typical
molecular arrangement and crystalline form of gold.

THE GODS OF GOLD

This
process is not purely automatic. There is a hier­archy of Gods, the chord of
whose nature is identical with that of gold. They may be thought of as the
divine idea of gold manifest as an Order of living beings. Members of this
hierarchy are drawn by vibratory affinity into the streams of gold force which
are constantly descending from the creative Source into the physical world.
Their presence and assist­ance intensify the component frequencies and thereby
aug­ment the form-producing power of the Word-force. Thus, part of the function
of the Gods of gold, as also of all Gods of the Order of the Builders, is to
assist in the process of the production of physical substances and forms.[21]

On the
surface of such a gold-bearing reef as the Wit- watersrand in South Africa, I
have seen numbers of Gods and nature spirits associated with the creative
force, the ensouling life and the indwelling consciousness of gold. Above them
both spatially and in evolution, were groups of higher Gods, whilst beyond
these again, dimly perceived, was the one plane­tary Intelligence of Gold. This
great Being appeared to be merged, as Co-ordinator, Director and Awakener, with
the force, the life and the consciousness of Gold.

On the
Rand, at the levels of emotion and concrete thought, a Gold group consciousness
exists. This is separated from other mineral groups by its enveloping membrane,
the differences of the frequency of gold creative force and the fact of the
superior development of the ensouling life of gold. The descending force, if
described diagrammatically rather than actually, or from a three-rather than a
four-dimensional viewpoint, resembles roughly a glowing, conical shaft of sun­light
shining from the apex which is the planetary creative Source, down into the
earth. The life within the stream is more highly coloured and more awake than
that of any other mineral in this region. Attuned to its frequency or rhythm, I
felt its power playing through my own bodies, arousing, stimulating all that
corresponds to gold in the human consti­tution.[22]

The
hosts of the Gods of gold were seen moving amidst the descending stream of gold
power. As shown on Plate 18, these are somewhat feminine in appearance. The
face gives the impression of a very pale, almost colourless skin. The “hair” —in
reality streaming force—is flaxen with a glint of gold. The aura sweeps down in
flowing curves, widening as it descends in bands of very soft shades of leaf
green, rose, yellow and delicate blue. The lower third of the aura is filled
with myriads of points of gold light. These are all in rapid motion and grow
more and more numerous towards the “hem” of this lovely auric robe. The whole
form and aura of the God—or Goddess—shine brilliantly with the sheen of gold.

These
lesser Gods of gold are curiously impassive. Occa­sionally those near the
surface of the veldt move slowly in a chainlike interweaving, as of a movement
in some stately dance. At the same time they maintain a graceful motion of the
arms, as in the hand-sowing of seed. , Apparently obli­vious of externals, they
use their minds to impart to the “de­scending” triple stream of gold power,
life and consciousness an additional force and individuality. Even if the
attention of one of them is caught and held, it sees one but dimly as if
through a gold mist and makes no effort to respond.

Various
types of nature spirits are down in the depths, often a mile below. Some have
weird, satyr-like bodies— etheric relics of Nature’s unaided efforts to build
forms in earlier cycles—with long, thin, pointed faces and nude, swart bodies of
human shape, save that the legs and feet of subterranean rock. They appear to
be manipulating earth forces, using tremendous will-power in the process, as if
they were hammering and welding the descending energies into homogeneity and
solidarity. This work is, however, not manual but the result of instinctively
exerted will. They seem to gain great satisfaction from this activity, to
experience a feeling of mastery over powerful forces which gives them the
impulse to sustain their concentration.

The
gold appears amongst the rock like tiny beads, whilst the smallest gold nature
spirits moving around and within them resemble minute bacteria of spiral form,
in colour glowing gold. At the etheric level, myriads of them are “swimming” about
in the descending stream where the deposits occur. The whole gives the
impression of a vast laboratory with innumerable workers, in which elements are
continually being formed and over which a Mastermind presides.

The
Gods and nature spirits of gold do not appear to resent the mining. They are
utterly impersonal and wherever the gold is taken they are in contact with the
life within it. Similarly the rock gnomes do not resent rocks being broken up.
On the contrary, explosions and drilling stimulate them and they revel in the
display of power, not caring that the rock is shattered. Indeed, they are less
aware of the solid rock than of the force compressed within it. They can see
the bor­ing tools but are not normally aware of men, being so remote in terms of
frequency from man that they are almost blind to human existence. They regard
their own participation some­what as a great game which they enjoy because it
stimulates them to added awareness and increased activity.

CREATION IN THE PLANT KINGDOM

As far
as my observations go, similar creative processes occur in the organic kingdoms
of Nature. The problems connected with organic life are profound and, as when
refer­ring to the formation of minerals, I do not presume to offer final
solutions of them. It is admitted that chemical charac­teristics alone do not constitute
living, organic material. Life is presumed to be present, but it has up to now
eluded scientific research. The various processes of biological orga­nisation
leading to the development of form, such as pro­gression from a fertilised egg
to the adult plant or animal, are as yet a profound enigma.

Some of
the machinery of this progression has been dis­covered. Genes and chromosomes
control development to some extent and step into the process at the right time
and place, but the emergence of the form of a body from the ferti­lised seed
appears to demand the operation of a designing and co-ordinating mind; for
regulatory activity is shown in all types of biological organisation arising in
a series of orderly steps from the mysterious substance known as protoplasm.
The form of the body is assumed to be immanent in the ferti­lised egg, but how
that which is latent becomes objective is, as yet, unknown. Under the
microscope, a section of a group of cells from which a plant or fruit will
develop looks like a chaos of dividing cells. Nevertheless, each cell has its
partic­ular task in the combination and the whole organism is part of a
patterned system.

CELL GROWTH

A
living cell is able to store up energy which leads to growth and the process of
reproduction. Simple materials, unlike themselves but of the same atomic
structure, are ab­sorbed as food. Plant cells absorb carbon dioxide, for exam­ple,
and under photo-synthesis can build up carbohydrates. A crystal, however, only
grows in material which is the same as itself. The more evolved condition than
in minerals of the indwelling life of plants is also indicated by the ability of
living organisms to react to external stimuli, such as sunlight, and to display
powers of self-preservation or maintenance of identity and integrity, and by
observed behaviour.

The
presence of this indwelling and evolving life is so far undetectable by science
but not necessarily by the higher senses of man. It is, however, being regarded
as a logical necessity in view of the behaviour of living matter. Whether this
life essence universally distributed throughout space is called “cosmoszoa” or “panspermia”,
under right conditions it plays its essential part in giving rise to living
matter. In addition, the cell grows by the deposit of electrically-charged
particles or ions. Charged molecules are deposited in correct balance so that
perfect development may take place for the particular organism.

GENES AND CHROMOSOMES

The
processes of germination, cell division and speciali­sation according to types of
structure to be built are thought to occur partly as a result of
self-energising processes. With­in the seed, minute bodies, called genes,
transmit hereditary qualities. These contain an enzyme system and act as organ­isers
which give birth to particular functions of the total form which is to grow.
These processes are initiated as a result of adequate stimulation such as the
union of the posi­tive and the negative germ cell. This then starts to divide
without an initial increase in size. Thereafter, different types of cells begin
to evolve in order to produce different types of tissue. After a certain phase,
an increase of substance from outside occurs and this is organised into types
according to the structure and function of the organism-to-be. A shaping,
formative agency produces changes in the energy relationships within the
structure affecting the speed of division of the cells, the metabolic rate and
the chemical constitution of individual types of cells. All this occurs according
to the Anlagen
(German, prototype) of organs which will later be formed.

REGENERATION

The
processes of regeneration are as mysterious as those which bring about the
original formation from protoplasm. A plant, for example, will regenerate roots
if the shoot is cut oif. If a young animal embryo is divided into two cells and
one of them is killed, the remaining one will develop into a whole animal. The
head end of an earthworm which has been cut in two will grow a new tail and the
giant sequoia will rebuild trunk tissue after having been burned almost to a
shell. Both growth and regeneration are clearly occurring under control
according to a characteristic design.

The
control consists, says Theosophy, of an indwelling, universal directing
Intelligence containing, if not wholly con­sisting of, the thought of the
universe and all it will ever pro­duce, reproduce, generate and regenerate at
all stages of growth and throughout every phase of evolutionary develop­ment.
Progression according to pattern or organised assump­tion of characteristic
forms, stage by stage, is produced or established as a function of protoplasm
by the agency of an emitted, form-producing electrical potency, in some ways
similar to that of sound. This form-producing energy, origin­ally emitted at
superphysical levels and frequencies by the Universal Mind as Emanator and
Architect of the universe, is inherent and active within matter itself, and so
within pro­toplasm, bestowing upon it its impulse and capacity progres­sively
and timelessly to produce patterned cell changes to the end of the construction
of cell-built types of tissue. As else­where described, embodiments of this
Universal Mind, cer­tain Hierarchies of Angelic Hosts, assist in these
processes.

Occult science thus teaches that
nothing which exists is truly inanimate. Life is present in the mineral as in
all other forms. Every seed, and especially every germ, is informed or ensouled
by a vital energy which causes it to germinate and develop according to its
species.

THE CALL TO THE NATURE SPIRITS

A
living centre which contains the stored-up results of the previous season as a
vibratory possibility is in the heart of every seed. The seasonal awakening or
stirring to life in an appropriate soil produces a subtle equivalent to “sound”.
This “sound” is then “heard” in the elemental regions sur­rounding its source
and the nature spirit builders answer the call. Every type of growth—stem,
shoot, leaf and flower— has its own note or call, to which the appropriate
builder responds. As sound itself has a form-producing effect, it is the means
by which the archetypal form of the plant, latent in the seed and in the minds of
a superior order of nature spirits, is projected to the etheric level as a
patterned shape. Some of the results of this vibratory call from the seed are:

(1)To separate and insulate the
atmosphere around the seed.

(2)To set the matter within the
insulated space vibrating at the required rate, and to specialise it in
readiness for the work of the nature spirit builders.

(3)To call the builders who, entering
the specialisedsphere, are then able to materialise themselves down to the
level at which they have to work.

(4)To assist in shaping an etheric
pattern or mouldof the plant as a guide or a ground-plan, ready for the
builders.

Different
vibrational “cells” arise, as stem, shoot, leaf and flower have in turn to be
built and the corresponding builders then arrive- to work at their own
appropriate task.

The
subtle sound appears to radiate not only from the life centre of the seed, but
also from every embryo cell as each develops. The builder concerned with that
cell absorbs the material required—that which responds to the same vibration as
itself and the cell it is building—and transforms it by chang­ing it from free
to specialised material. This substance then passes to the cell from which the
sound is uttered and is built into the etheric pattern. The cell is thus
gradually nourished and enlarged till it reaches its proper limit, when it
divides and the process is repeated. While the material is in close association
with the builder it is not only specialised to suit the growing cell; it is
also coloured by the vibratory rate of the tiny nature spirit concerned.

When
examining bulbs growing in bowls, I have seen large numbers of these
microscopic, etheric creatures moving in and around the growing plants. They
are visible at the etheric level as points of light playing around the stem and
passing in and out of the bulb. They absorb matter from the surrounding
atmosphere, which they deposit on re-entering the tissues, and this process
goes on continuously until the plant is full-grown. The creatures are entirely
self-absorbed and sufficiently self-conscious to experience a dim sense of
well-being and even of affection for the plant. When out­side of it and
absorbing matter, they become enlarged and look like pale violet and lilac-coloured
spheres about two inches in diameter. Having expanded to the largest size of
which they are capable they return and, as stated above, re­enter the plant,
into which they discharge the matter and vital force which they have absorbed.

In
addition to this, the plants themselves can be seen to take in directly a
certain amount of substance from the atmos­phere. There is also a natural
outflow of vital energy from the half-grown plants to about two feet above and
all around them and in this other tiny creatures play and dance. The nature
spirit builders do not confine their work to one plant or even to one bowl; for
when bowls are near each other, they flit about from one to the other. The
bulbs themselves give the impression of being small power houses, each charged
with potent forces. The etheric colour of the bulb when growing is
pinkish-violet, with an intenser light in the centre, from which rises an
upward-flowing etheric stream, carry­ing with it, at a slower pace, both
physical moisture and nutriment.

Each
change in structure and colour calls for another group of builders and when the
bulb begins to be formed, an appropriate order of nature spirits arrives on the
scene. When the flower itself begins to be built, the fairies proper appear,
and they are responsible for all the colouring and the structure of the bloom.
Flower fairies are sufficiently aware of their special work to take a keen
pleasure in its performance. They remain in close attendance as each bud and
petal develops and appear to be appreciative of human admiration of the results
of their labours. When flowers are cut, the fairy builders may accompany the
blooms and stay with them for some hours. By the time the bloom is fully out,
the creative chord or “Word” of the plant is fully sounding forth. All the
appropriate nature spirits are then present and at work.

Similarly,
everywhere throughout Nature, all substances and all forms owe their existence
to the ever-uttered, creative “Word” and to the activity of the nature spirits
and the Gods. When we look upon Nature’s varied forms, her metals and jewels,
her flowers, trees and forests, her rivers, lakes and falls, her oceans, her
hills and mountain ranges, we are gazing in­deed not only upon the materialised
auras of the Gods but, if with all reverence one may say so, upon God Himself.
For Nature is but God revealed, God’s dream made manifest by the continued
utterance of His “Word”, the chant of His mighty Name, and the ceaseless
constructive and beautifying ministry of the greater and lesser Gods. By these,
and doubt­less by many other means, He brings into existence all beings and all
things and sustains them by the perpetual sacrificial outpouring of His Life.

EE may now proceed to study these
form-building processes as they are carried out by angels and nature spirits in
the construction of the physical, etheric and superphysical bodies of man. In
both Nature and man the creative forces, agents and methods are, in general,
very much the same. Perhaps the most profound of all the profound truths
contained with­in the esoteric teachings are those of the unity of the Macro­cosm
or “Great Man” with the microcosm or individual man, and of the close
similarity between the processes by which both become manifest and evolve. Man,
in very truth, was created in the image of God. “The mystery of the earthly and
mortal man is after the mystery of the supernal and im­mortal One.” [24] The universe is the manifestation of a Supreme,
Deific Power, a ray of which is present in every man. Realisation of this
presence as the true human individuality, the real Self, behind the bodily veil
leads to the further reali­sation that this Dweller in the Innermost is itself
forever at one with the Supreme Lord, the eternal Source of light and life and
power.

H. P. Blavatsky refers to this unity
and similarity in her monumental work, The Secret Doctrine:[25]

“To the learner who would study the Esoteric
Sciences with their double object: (a) of proving Man to be identical in
spiritual and physical essence with both the Absolute Principle and with God in
Nature; and (6) of demonstrating the presence in him of the same potential
powers as exist in the creative forces in Nature—to such a one a perfect
knowledge of the cor­respondences between Colours, Sounds, and Numbers is the
first requisite. ... It is on the thorough knowledge and comprehension of the
meaning and potency of these numbers, in their various and multiform
combinations, and in their mutual correspondence with sounds or words, and
colours or rates of motion (represented in physical science by vibrations),
that the pro­gress of a student in Occultism depends.”

“These seven senses of ours correspond with
every other septenate in Nature and in ourselves. Physically, though invisibly,
the human Auric Envelope (the amnion of the physical man in every age of Life)
has seven layers, just as Cosmic Space and our physical epidermis have. It is
this Aura which, according to our mental and physical state of purity or
impurity, either opens for us vistas into other worlds, or shuts us out
altogether from anything but this three-dimensional world of Matter.

“Each of our seven physical senses (two of
which are still unknown to profane Science), and also of our seven states of
consciousness—viz.: (1) waking; (2) waking-dreaming; (3) natural sleeping; (4)
induced or trance sleep; (5) psychic; (6) super-psychic; and (7) purely
spiritual^-corresponds with one of the seven Cosmic Planes, develops and uses
one of the seven super-senses, and is connected directly, in its use on the
terrestro-spiritual plane, with the cosmic and divine centre of force that gave
it birth, and which is its direct creator. Each is also connected with, and
under the direct in­fluence of, one of the seven sacred Planets.”

Thus
the Logos and man are not only one in essence but all that is in the Logos,
which includes the Solar System, is innate in man. Their constitution is
precisely similar, that is to say sevenfold. Man as Monad is also immanent
within and transcendent beyond his field of manifestation, his seven
principles. The creative power and processes by which a Solar System comes into
being also operate in human pro­creation and subsequent bodily development.
Significant, therefore, is the statement that “the proper study of mankind is
man”. The injunction of the Mystery Schools of old, “Man know thyself”, was
wise; for when man truly knows himself, he knows all.

MICROCOSMIC CREATION

In
partial exposition of these great truths, in this Chapter the descent of the
human Ego into incarnation[26] is considered and certain
elairvoyantly observed processes of pre-natal life, in which angels
participate, are described. Before this subject can be adequately presented,
however, it is necessary to ad­vance certain Theosophical teachings concerning
the super­physical and spiritual nature of man.

Man is
described as that being in whom highest spirit and lowest matter are united by
intellect. Although this makes of him a triplicity, his constitution is said to
be at least sevenfold. At the present stage of human evolution, the seven
bodies or principles of man, beginning with the most dense, are stated to be
the physical body, vehicle of thought, feeling, awareness, and action in the
physical world; the etheric double, the connecting link between the inner and
the outer man and the container of the vital energy or prana re­ceived
physically from the sun and superphysically from the spiritual sun; the
emotional or astral body, vehicle of desire; the mental body, vehicle of the
formal mind and instrument of concrete thought; the higher mental or Causal
Body, vehicle at the level of abstract mind of the threefold Spiritual Self,
called by the Greeks the Augoeides and frequently referred to as the Ego; the
Buddhic Body, vehicle of spiritual intuitive­ness ; and the Atmic Body, vehicle
of the spiritual will. Over­shadowing and empowering the whole sevenfold man is
the Dweller in the Innermost, the Monad or Divine Spark.

As the
Macrocosmic creative process begins with the “Word”, so the microcosmic
creation of the mental, astral and, later, the etheric and physical bodies of
man is initiated by the utterance of the Egoic “Word”. At or near the time of
conception, the physical permanent atom[27] of the Ego about to incarnate is
attached by an angel to the twin cell then formed. The permanent or seed atoms
are single, ulti­mate atoms of the planes of will, wisdom, abstract
intelligence, formal thought, emotion and physical matter. At the begin­ning of
the descent of the Monadic Ray into the evolutionary field they are attached to
this life-thread or Ray of the Monad, which is thus represented on the third,
fourth, fifth (that of both abstract and concrete thought), sixth and seventh
planes of Nature, counting from above. The Monad itself is situated on the
second plane and obtains communication with the planes below through its
life-thread on which the atoms are thus strung.

At the
opening of each cycle of rebirth, the microcosmic Word-force or Egoic power,
life and consciousness descends down the thread of life connecting the Causal
Body with the mental, astral and physical permanent or seed atoms. This triple
stream of creative energy vibrates on frequencies expres­sive of the Egoic Ray[28] or Monadic classification, the evolu­tionary standing,
the qualities of character and consciousness already developed and the karma,[29] both happy and unhappy in its
outworking. All these are represented as “sounds” in the chord of the Egoic “Word”
and modify greatly the parental characteristics transmitted via the mental and
astral bodies and the ovum and spermatozoon. This creative power ori­ginates
microcosmically in the Monad or the one indivisible Self of man, the integral
spark within the Parent flame, by which the “Word” is primarily uttered. This
Monadic “Word” is in its turn a chord in the Macrocosmic verbum.

The
Causal or Egorc Body, the permanent vehicle of the Spiritual Self of man, the
Augoeides, may be thought of as the microcosmic Archetype; it is the vehicle
for and expres­sion of Monadic creative power, tuned or coloured, as stated above,
by the products of past experience, both on its own plane and through
successive personalities. Thus is consti­tuted the “Word” which the Ego in the
Causal Body, as micro­cosm, utters creatively to initiate a new descent into
incar­nation.

The
permanent atom on each plane, awakened from the relatively static condition of
inter-incarnation periods, then becomes the focus for, and the transmitter on
that plane of, the relayed Word-force. As centres of the magnetic fields they
then set up, the permanent atoms attract the type of matter which is capable of
response to the emitted wave lengths. This is especially the case as regards
the prepon­derance of one or other of the primary Rays in Monad and Ego and of
the three corresponding gunas[30]in matter. Thus, in the very
substance of which bodies are built, as also in every other particular, perfect
justice is automatically meted out to every individual as regards the mental,
emotional and physical equipment with which life’s journey is begun.

HOW MAN'S BODIES ARE BUILT

This
stage immediately following conception may per­haps be compared to that in
Macrocosmic processes at which the “Word” has produced the Archetype, and
through that the magnetic centres with their fields, within and round which the
planets will later be formed. The principles governing the formation of the
mental, astral and physical bodies are the same at the three levels, but in
order to present as clear an account of the results of my observations as
possible, the process of building the physical body in utero will be in part described.

As
above stated, at the moment of germination the phy­sical permanent atom is
attached by an angel to the newly-formed twin cell. This presence of the
permanent atom, vivified by the descending, Egoic, creative energy or micro-
cosmic Word-force, bestows upon the twin-celled organism its ordered,
biological impetus, causes it, in fact, to grow ac­cording to the “Word”.

The
creative energy, now emitted into and through the permanent atom and twin cell,
is found to produce at least four results:

First, the establishment of a field or sphere of influence within which the
building is to occur. This corresponds to the formation of the Ring-Pass-Not of
the Solar System in Macrocosmic creation, represents the range of the emitted
rays, and serves to insulate an area against the intrusion of foreign
vibrations and substances.

Second, the magnetisation or attunement of the matter within this
field. The play of creative energy brings sur­rounding matter into vibrational
harmony with the individual about to incarnate.

Third, the production of a form. This form, which might be regarded as the
etheric mould into which the physi­cal body will be built, must now be
described in some detail, such description delaying reference to the fourth
effect of the emitted Word-force. Clairvoyantly examined, the pre-natal etheric
mould, which appears very soon after conception, resembles a baby body built of
etheric matter, somewhat self- luminous, vibrating slightly, a living being,
the etheric pro­jection of the Archetype as modified by karma.

Within
the etheric mould there is to be seen, in terms of flowing energy or lines of
force, each on its own wave length, a sketch plan of the whole body. Every type
of tissue-to-be is represented, differing from other types because the energy of
which it is an end-product is itself on another frequency. Thus the bony
structure, muscular and vascular tissues, the nerves, the brain and other
substances, are all represented in the etheric mould by currents of energy on
specific fre­quencies.

The
play of the emitted vibrations on the free surround­ing matter may possibly be
the factor which causes atoms to enter into differing molecular combinations to
produce various types of tissue. These molecules are attracted towards the
lines of force and “settle” into their appropriate places in the growing body
by virtue of sympathetic vibration or mutual resonance. Thus, again, every part
of the physical body in substance and in form exactly fits the incarnating Ego.
Karmic deficiencies,
which are to work out in terms of malformation, weakness and disease, are
represented in the mould by dis­sonances, or even breaks in the particular
lines of force along and according to which the tissues are built.

To
digress briefly, if this generalisation be at all accurate, the whole body—as
also the Solar System—can be expressed in terms of frequency, each type of
tissue and each organ having its own wave length, note and colour, these in
their turn varying in states of health and of disease. In perfect health, every
part is in tune and the chord of the human body perfectly harmonised. In
ill-health the opposite exists; there is a dissonance at some part or other.
The chord is out of tune. The true art of healing, therefore, is that of the
resto­ration of rhythm.

Fourth of the effects of germination is the evocation of the devic
builders of form. The class or order of these which is evoked is also decided
by resonance. Thus, nature spirits of the building order in the immediate
neighbourhood, which are in vibrational attunement with the currents or notes
in Word-force emitted by the reincarnating individual, alone hear and respond.
Arriving on the scene, they enter the sphere of influence and find themselves
in an atmosphere entirely congenial to them, because ruled by their own in­herent
chord. They then proceed instinctively to absorb into themselves, and therefore
further to specialise, the free mat­ter, after which they assist in its
vibrationally-governed de­posit into its appropriate place in the growing
structure of the body.

THE MECHANISM OF CONSCIOUSNESS

The
building angels at the astral and mental levels, in addition to the supervision
of these processes through the instinctive response of the nature spirits to
their thought, concern themselves also with the construction and extremely
delicate adjustment of the mechanism of consciousness. This consists physically
of the body itself, the cerebro-spinal system with the seven nerve and
glandular centres, situated at the sacrum, the spleen, the solar plexus, the
heart, the throat, and the pituitary and the pineal glands. At the etheric
level, the etheric counterparts of these centres and glands, and in addi­tion
the etheric chakras,[31] must be perfectly adjusted to the
physical organs, the health and efficiency of which they govern. Similarly, in
the astral and mental bodies the seven chakras in their turn must be adapted to
the corresponding etheric and physical parts of the mechanism. A sevenfold mode
of mani­festation in the body, and seven channels through which it can gain
experience therein, are thus provided for the Ego by the chakras and
their corresponding physical centres. These human chakras are projections of the seven
corresponding vortices in the planetary and Solar Archetypes, and, with devic
assistance, are produced by the play of Word-force from them through the human
Causal Body.

Here,
also, numerical principles are involved. Each of the chakras has
its own specific chord or group of frequen­cies, colours and numbers of
divisions resembling the petals of a flower. Through each there flows a type of
energy, life andconsciousness, vibrationally in harmony with that chord. When karma is
favourable to perfect function, the chord of each chakra is perfectly harmonised, the
seven in tune with each other and with each of the bodies in which they exist,
as also with the corresponding centres in the other bodies. Under such
conditions perfect health and efficiency of func­tion are assured. When there
is dissonance—created by transgressions, mental, emotional or physical and the
conse­quent malformation or distortion of the chakras—imperfec­tion of function is the
result. The karma
of disease would seem to operate primarily by disturbing vibrational attune-
ment. A break in the rhythm of descending energies at any level ultimately
causes ill-health in the physical body. It would appear, therefore, that final healing
must come from within the sufferer, from the Ego itself; for from the Ego— the
human Archetype—alone is emitted creative, and there­fore corrective and
curative, energy on groups of frequencies numerically expressive of the ideal
form.

In
successful spiritual healing, a flood of corrective and vitalising force
descends through the Ego and superphysical bodies and their chakras into
the physical body, sweeping out inharmonious substances, restoring harmony and
therefore the free and unimpeded flow of the inner life-force through­out the
whole Nature. The Healing Angels carry out their mission largely, but not
entirely, by the use of this power, by restoration of the full function of the chakras
concerned, and on occasion by the actual change of substances in the super­physical,
etheric and physical bodies. They also direct a powerful stream of cleansing,
vitalising and healing forces from their own auras and other natural reservoirs
through the physical, etheric and astral bodies especially, thereby set- hng up
conditions under which the natural processes of elim­ination and of healing can
restore the sufferer to health.

Throughout
the pre-natal period and for the whole of the lifetime, Egoic Word-force is
continuously emitted through the permanent atoms, the chakras and
the superphysical and physical bodies. When injury occurs, it is this
ever-active, formative power which makes possible the repair and rebuild­ing of
tissue according to the original form. In this process, also, angels and nature
spirits play their constructive parts.[32]Thus, up to the moment of death, when the Ego withdraws, the
physical body is subjected to the influence of the Egoic “Word”. The disordered
post mortem
cell and bacterial acti­vity known as decay is due to the absence of this
directive in­fluence of the Ego. As the astral and mental bodies are in their
turn laid aside, the “Word” also becomes astrally and mentally silent, the Ego
having withdrawn into the subjective condition of creative rest and heavenly
bliss.[33] From this, in due course, it
awakens. Again the Word-force is emitted and a new incarnation begins.

Since
man is an epitome of the Solar System, a micro- cosmic manifestation of the
Macrocosm, close resemblances are found between the creative processes
described above and those by which a universe comes into being. In man, the
microcosm and Macrocosm meet. This cannot be said of the angels since they do
not normally possess etheric and phy­sical bodies; neither is it true of
animals who are without the three higher principles of Will, Wisdom and
abstract Intelli­gence. In man, however, the full possibilities of Macrocos-
mic self-expression are contained. The purpose of his exis­tence is the
unfolding from within of his Macrocosmic powers, that he may in his turn attain
to the stature of the Logos of a Solar System, “perfect as his Father which is
in Heaven is perfect” [34]. One might
almost assume that since the same principles govern Macrocosmic and microcosmic
creative processes, repeated incarnation provides the training and practice
necessary for man’s later Macrocosmic manifestation of creative power.

THE SEPHIROTHAL HOSTS

THE contribution of occult
philosophy to the problem of the emanation and constitution of the universe is
dual. It consists first of an affirmation of the existence in Nature of a
directive Intelligence, a sustaining Life and a creative Will; and second of
informa­tion concerning the existence, nature and function of those individual
embodiments of these three Powers in Nature, called in Egypt and Greece “Gods”,
in the East Devas, and in the West “Angelic Hosts”.

Occult philosophy shares with modern science the view
that the universe consists not of matter but of energy, and adds that the
universe of force is the Kingdom of the Gods. For fundamentally these Beings
are directors of universal forces, power agents of the Logos, His engineers in
the great creative process, which is regarded as continuous. Creative energy is
perpetually outpoured. On its way from its source to material manifestation as
physical substance and form, it passes through the bodies and auras of the
Gods. In the process it is “transformed”, “stepped down” from its primor­dial
potency. Thus the creative Gods are also “transformers” of power.

Highest amongst the objective or fully manifested Gods
are the seven Solar Archangels, the Seven Mighty Spirits before the Throne.
These are the seven Viceroys of the three­fold Solar Emperor. A planetary
Scheme[35] or Kingdom in the
new-born universe is assigned to each of the Seven from the beginning. Each is
a splendid figure, effulgent with solar light and power, an emanation of the
sevenfold Logos, whose Power, Wisdom and Beauty no single form can manifest.
These mighty Seven, standing amidst the first primordial flame, shape the Solar
System according to the divine “idea”. These are the seven Sephiras concerning
whom and their three Superiors, the Supernal Trinity, fuller information is
offered in Part III. Collaborating with them, rank upon rank in a vast
hierarchy of beings, are the hosts of Archangels and angels who “imbue
primordial matter with the evolutionary impulse and guide its formative powers
in the fashioning of its productions”.[36]

The Gods differ from man in that in the present Maha-
Manvantara[37]
their will does not become so markedly differ­entiated from the One Will. The
human sense of separated personality is almost entirely absent in them. Their
path of evolution which, in the present Solar System, does not deeply penetrate
the physical worlds as does that of man, leads from instinctive to
self-conscious co-operation with the One Will. Occult science teaches, however,
that in preceding or succeeding periods of manifestation they either have been
or will be men. H. P. Blavatsky says:

“The whole Kosmos is guided, controlled, and
animated by almost endless series of Hierarchies of sentient Beings, each
having a mission to per­form, and who—whether we give them one name or another,
whether we call them Dhyan Chohans or Angels—are ‘Messengers’, in the sense
only that they are the agents of Karmic and Cosmic Laws. They vary infinitely
in their respective degrees of consciousness and intelligence; and to call them
all pure Spirits, without any of the earthly alloy ‘which time is wont to preyupon,’ is only to indulge in poetical fancy. For each of
these Beings either was, or prepares to become, a man, if not in the present,
then in a past or a coming cycle (Manvantara). They are perfected, when not
incipient, men; and in their higher, less material spheres differ morally from
terrestrial human beings only in that they are devoid of the feeling of
personality, and of the human emotional nature—two purely earthly
characteristics. The former, or the ‘perfected,’ have become free from these
feelings, because (a) they have no longer fleshly bodies—an ever-numbing weight
on the Soul; and (b) the pure spiritual element being left untrammelled and
more free, they are less influenced by Maya than man can ever be, unless he is
an Adept who keeps his two personalities—the spiritual and the
physical—entirely separa­ted. The incipient Monads, having never yet had
terrestrial bodies, can have no sense of personality or EGO-ism. That which is meant
by ‘persona­lity’ being a limitation and a relation, or, as defined by Coleridge,
‘individua­lity existing in itself but with a nature as a ground,’ the term
cannot of course be applied to non-human Entities; but, as a fact insisted upon
by generations of Seers, none of these Beings, high or low, have either
individuality or per­sonality as separate Entities, i.e., they have no
individuality in the sense in which a man says, ‘I am myself and no one else’;
in other words, they are conscious of no such distinct separateness as men and
things have on earth Individuality is.the characteristic of their respective
Hierarchies, not of their units; and these characteristics vary only with the
degree of the plane to which these Hierarchies belong; the nearer to the region
of Homogeneity and the One Divine, the purer and the less accentuated is that
individuality in the Hierarchy. They are finite in all respects, with the
exception of their higher principles—the immortal Sparks reflecting the
Universal Divine Flame, individualised and separated only on the spheres of
Illusion, by a differentiation as illusive as the rest. They are ‘Living Ones,’
because they are the streams projected on the Kosmic screen of Illusion from
the absolute life; Beings in whom life cannot become extinct, before the fire of ignorance
is extinct in those who sense these ‘Lives’.” [38]

TWO STREAMS OF EVOLVING LIFE

The concept, founded upon occult research, of certain
Orders of the Angelic Hosts as creative and directive Intelli­gences,
expressions of aspects of the Divine nature and con­sciousness, Lords of the
subtle elements of earth, water, air and fire and Gods of regions of the Earth,
differs in one respect at least from that of certain schools of Christian
thought. Investigation does not support the view that angels are de­ceased
human beings. On the contrary, it reveals that hu­man nature and human
character undergo no change what­ever immediately after death; that
temperament, likes and dislikes, gifts, capacities, and for the most part
memory, at first remain unchanged. According to the Bible, angels were in
existence before the death of the first man. They were present when sentence
was passed upon Adam and Eve, and one was placed with flaming sword “to keep
the way of the Tree of Life”.[39] There would seem,
therefore, to be no scriptural foundation for the belief that death transforms
men into angels. Indeed, speaking of man, St. Paul says: “Thou madest him a
little lower than the angels.” [40]

The Biblical account of the angels as ministers and mes­sengers
from God to man, appearing to individuals in times of need, is supported by the
teaching of occult philosophy. So, also, is the vision of Jacob at Bethel, in
which he saw “a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to
heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it”.[41]
The Order of the angels is hierarchical. On the lower rungs of the angelic
ladder of life are the lesser nature spirits, brownies and gnomes, associated
with the element of earth; fairies and sylphs with that of air; undines or
nereids with water; and salamanders with fire. Above them, as previously
stated, are angels and Archangels in an ascending scale of evolutionary
stature, reaching up to the Seven Mighty Spirits before the Throne.

Countless in their numbers, innumerable in their Orders
and degrees, the Gods dwell in the superphysical worlds, each Order performing
its particular task, each possessing specific powers and each presenting a
characteristic appearance. The whole constitutes a race of evolving beings at
present pursuing an evolutionary pathway which is parallel to that of man, and
which with him uses this planet and Solar System as a field of activity and
unfoldment.

THE APPEARANCE OF THE GREATER AND THE LESSER GODS

As will be seen from the
descriptions which follow and the illustrations in Part V, the angelic form is
founded upon the same Archetype or divine “idea” as is that of man. The
outlines, however, are less clearly defined, the bodies less substantial,
suggesting flowing forces rather than solid forms. Angels themselves differ in
appearance according to the Order to which they belong, the functions which
they perform and the level of evolution at which they stand.

Brownies, elves and gnomes
appear in Western countries much as are described in folk-lore. In some Eastern
and Central and South American countries their forms are more archaic, and even
grotesque. Undines or nereids, associated with the element of water, resemble
beautiful, and generally unclothed, female figures, femininity being suggested
by roundness of form, there being, as far as I have found, differ­ences of
polarity but no sex differentiation in the Kingdom of the Gods. Varying in
height from a few inches to two or three feet, undines are to be seen playing
in the spray of water­falls, reclining in the depths of deep pools or floating
swiftly over the surface of river and lake. Fairies and sylphs, associ­ated
with the element of air, generally appear to clairvoyant vision much as
represented in fairy-tale. They look like beautiful maidens with
brightly-coloured wings, not used for flight since these beings float swiftly
or slowly at will, their rosy, glowing forms partly concealed by gossamer,
force- built “garments”. Salamanders, associated with the element offire,
appear as if built of flame, the form constantly chang- ing but suggestive of
human shape, the eyes alight with fiery Power. The chin and ears are sharply
pointed and the “hair” frequently streams back from the head, appearing like
tongues offlame, as the salamanders dive steeply into the flames of Physical
fires and fly through them.Variations of these forms are to be seen in
different countries of the world and in different parts of the same country.
Where unspoilt, and not too highly populated, the countryside of England is
rich in fairy life, descriptions being given in Part II, Chapter IV.

THE ABODE OF THE GODS

The Gods know the sun, physical and superphysical, as
the heart and source of all power and life within the Solar System. From that
heart, the vitalising energies which are the life “blood” of the solar and
planetary “body” of the Logos are continually outpoured and withdrawn. In bring­ing
the universe into existence, He, the Solar Logos, “breathes” forth His creative
power, which flows to the very confines of His system, causing the material
universe to appear. At the end of creative Day, He “breathes” in, His power is
with­drawn and the material universe disappears, re-absorbed into THAT from
which all came forth. This outbreathing and inbreathing of the solar life and
energy is rhythmical. The one major creative “Word” or chord of the Solar
System consists of innumerable frequencies, differences of vibratory rate
producing differences of substance and form. The great race of the Gods lives
and evolves amid this universe of out- rushing and returning force.

MOUNTAIN GODS

On a single planet such as our Earth, Solar Archangels
and angels are represented by corresponding planetary Gods. In addition to
these major creative Intelligences, there are the angels presiding over
divisions and areas of the surface of the Earth. They are called Landscape
Angels and are partly concerned with creative and evolutionary processes in the
mineral and plant kingdoms of Nature. A mountain is a living, evolving
organism, a body, as indeed is the whole

Earth, in which the Three Aspects of the Logos are
incarnate. At least three processes are occurring within and about every
mountain: the creation and evolution by the action of the Divine Will-Thought of
atoms, molecules and crystals of which the mountain is built, the vivification
of substance and form by the indwelling Divine Life and the awakening and
development of the incarnate mineral consciousness. In each of these, Nature is
assisted by hosts of nature spirits and Gods working under the direction of a
responsible Official, who is the mountain God. When a peak is part of a range,
the whole range in its turn will be presided over by a far more highly evolved
Being of the same Order as the Gods of single peaks.

The appearance of these Beings is most magnificent, as
is shown in the illustrations in Part V of this book, far from adequate though
they be despite the artist’s skill. In height colossal, often ranging from
thirty to sixty feet, the mountain God is surrounded on every side by
outrushing, brilliantly coloured auric forces. These flow out from the central
form in waves, eddies and vortices, varying continuously in colour, in response
to changes of consciousness and activity. The face is generally more clearly
visible than the rest of the form, which not infrequently is veiled by the
outflowing energies. The features are always strongly yet beautifully modelled.
The brow is broad, the eyes wide set and ablaze with power and light. Whilst in
man the heart and solar plexus chakras are distinct,
in mountain and other Gods they are sometimes conjoined to form a brilliant
force-centre, often golden in colour, from which many of the streams of power
arise and flow forth. On occasions these streams take the form of great wings
stretched out for hundreds of yards on either side of the majestic figure.

Whilst all such Gods live their own intensely vivid
life amongst their peers in the higher superphysical worlds, one part of their
attention is almost continuously turned towards the mountain below, into the
sleeping consciousness and life of which they continually direct streams of
stimulating, quickening force. Occasionally, in order to perform its awakening
functions more quickly and effectively, a God will descend deep into the
mento-astral double of the moun­tain, its potent energies unified with the
creative forces of which the mountain substance and form are products, its life
blended with the indwelling Life and its consciousness one with the incarnate,
Divine Mind. After a time it reappears and resumes its station high above the
peak.

As stated above the Gods of single peaks are subordi­nate
to a still greater God which, though larger and more brilliant, resembles its
subordinates and performs similar functions for the whole mountain range and
surrounding landscape. Such great Gods of Nature are not usually inte­rested in
man, neither do they display knowledge of human life and modes of thought.
Intensely concentrated upon their task, they are generally remote and
impassive, even as are the snowclad peaks. Certain of them, however, would seem
to have had contact with men in earlier civilisations, to have retained
interest in human evolution and to be willing, on occasion, to inspire and
advise human individuals and groups responsive to their influence.

MESSAGES FROM THE HEIGHTS

Amongst the many mountain Gods observed in the Sierra
Nevada Mountains in California, the two presently described showed interest in
and knowledge of man. Of the first of these Gods, I wrote at the time of
observation:

The great sphere of his[42]
outer aura gleams white as sunlit snow-fields across which he moves
majestically. Within the white radiance, and partially veiled by it, shine the
deep greens of the cypress trees, and within these again the golden glory of
the noonday sun. Then glows a rosy light of softest hue, next azure blue and
last, all white and radiant, the Godlike form.

The face is moulded in strength, square-jawed and power­ful.
The “hair” resembles flickering, backward-sweeping flames and in the air above
a crown of upward-rushing, radiant energies flashes with the brightly coloured
jewels of his thoughts.

An attempt to discover something of the content of his
consciousness and, more particular, his views concerning the Gods, visible
Nature and the ideal relation of man thereto, produces upon me the impression
of the utterance of succes­sive principles, each followed by a profound
stillness in which the idea is dwelt upon and assimilated. The God thus seems
to “say”:

“The globe is a living being with incarnate power, life
and consciousness. The Earth breathes. Its heart beats. It is the body of a God
who is the Spirit of the Earth. Rivers are as its nerves, oceans great
nerve-centres. Mountains are the denser structure of the giant whose outer form
is man’s evolutionary field, whose inner life and potent energies are the
abiding place of the Gods.

“The approach to Nature by modern man is almost ex­clusively
through action and his outer senses. Too few among her human devotees approach
her in stillness, with outer senses quieted and inner sense aroused. Few,
therefore, dis­cover the Goddess herself behind her earthly veil.

“There is a value in the active life, a power and a
beauty in Nature’s outer garb. Power far greater, and beauty far deeper, lie
beneath her veil, only to be drawn aside by silent contemplation of her hidden
life.

“The heart of Nature, save for its rhythmic pulse,
abides ln silence. The devotee at Nature’s shrine must approach her
altar reverently and with quiet mind if he would find her beating heart and
know the power within the form.

“The doorway of her temple exists and is to be found in
every natural form. Contemplation of a single flower may lead the seeker
through. A plant displaying Nature’s sym­metry, a tree, a mountain range, a
single peak, flowing river, a thundering cascade—each and all of these will
serve the contemplative soul of man as entrance to the realm of the Real
wherein Nature’s Self abides.

“In contemplation of Nature’s outward forms, the door­way
to her temple should be approached. Self-identification with her inner Life,
deep response to her beauty without and within—these are the means of entry to
her inmost Shrine.

“Within, await the High Gods, the timeless Ones, the
everlasting Priests, who minister throughout creative Day within the temple,
which is the natural world.

“Few, far too few, have found entrance there since
Greece became a ruin and Rome fell into decay. The Grecians of old dwelt in
simplicity. Complexities had not yet appeared. Human character was direct,
human life simple and human minds, if somewhat primitive, attuned to the
Universal Soul.

“The wheel revolves. The golden days return. Nature
calls again to man who, as he hears, endeavours to respond. Man has passed through
the cycle of darkness which followed the decay of Rome. Yet, involved in
increasing complex­ities, he has lost his contact with Nature’s hidden life. To
re­gain it, all that dulls the senses, everything gross, everything impure and
all indulgence must be left behind. The divine heart of Life must be approached
in silent contemplation and single-mindedness; thus only may that heart be
found.” A second mountain God whose picture appears on Plate 15, was in its
turn described at the time and as follows: There comes a great white angel of
the heights shining with the light of sunshine upon snow. On every side his
far-flung aura gleams with brilliant hues, ordered in successive bands from
central form to aura’s edge, pale rose, pale blue, soft green and purple. From
his head a widening stream of white and fiery force arises and from behind the
form flow waves of power suggesting auric wings.

The face is strong, virile, masculine. The brow is
broad, the eyes wide apart and alight with power. The “hair” is formed of
flashes of flame, like fiery power shooting upwards from the head. The nose and
chin are delicately yet strongly modelled, the lips full, the whole face
instinct with the majesty and power of the mountain range. The form itself is
veiled by streams of white, flowing energy. At intervals, through­out the form
and outward-flowing power there flashes a white radiance, dazzlingly bright, as
of the sunlit snows.

He answers my call for light, “speaking” as if in a
deep, resonant bass,[43] vibrant as if with the
power of the Earth itself:

“The Gods await the conscious reunion of the mind of
man with the Universal Mind. Humanity awakens slowly. Matter-blinded through
centuries, few men as yet perceive the Mind within the substance, the Life
within the form.

“In search of power and wealth, men have traversed the
whole Earth, have penetrated the wilds, scaled the peaks and conquered the
polar wastes. Let them now seek within the form, scale the height of their own
consciousness, penetrate its depths, in search of that inner Power and Life by
which alone they may become strong in will and spiritually en­riched.

“He who thus throws open his life and mind to the Uni­versal
Life and Mind indwelling in all things, will enter into union therewith and to
him the Gods will appear.

ONE STUPENDOUS WHOLE

OCCULT
science affirms that the universe, as spirit and matter, life and form,
consciousness and vehi­cles, with all its constituents and inhabitants, is a
single organism, a living unity. All individuals are as centres, organs or
cells in a higher Being, of whom they are a manifestation and a part. These
higher Beings in their turn are expressions of the power, the life and the
conscious­ness of still more highly evolved Intelligences. This hier­archical
system culminates in one all-inclusive All-Being, the summation and synthesis of
all creation, the supreme Deity, the One Alone.

As all the atoms, cells and organs of the human body
are unified in that organism, so all beings are unified within the one
all-embracing divine Power, Life and Consciousness and its various vehicles,
from the most tenuous to the most dense. Those vehicles in their turn constitute
the visible and invisible universe which is created by the One Power, sustained
by the One Life, shaped, directed and transformed by the One Intelli­gence,
ordered by One Law and composed, fundamentally, of One Element.

Physically, the universe displays exuberant variety and
richness of individuality of apparently separate beings and forms.
Superphysically, however, the unifying, vital principle begins to be perceived.
Spiritually, all is seen to be the pro­duct and expression of one deific,
creative Power under the operation of one immutable Law.

THE SCREEN OF TIME AND SPACE

An analogy may perhaps be taken from the cinema.
Numerous continually-moving forms appear on the screen. If the beam between the
projector and the screen be observed, especially if the picture be coloured,
only the changes in colour, light and shade can be perceived. These changes, in
their turn, are produced by the passage in front of the source of light of the
film on which the original pictures were taken. This film itself, though
invisible to the audience, is the factor which determines the nature of the
phenomena appearing on the screen. The figures on the screen, the changes and
the movements in the beam and the pictures on the film strip ire all numerous and
diverse. Behind them all, however, is the single light by which the pictures
themselves are produced, and without which they could not be made to appear.

If the analogy—admittedly not quite perfect—be applied
to the phenomena revealed to man through his senses, the space-time universe
corresponds to the screen. The beam represents creative energy emitted from its
Source, parsing through the superphysical worlds to produce the visible uni­verse.
The lens represents Creative Mind, through which Archetypes are focussed on to
the universal screen. The film corresponds to the archetypal “forms” and the
single light represents the primary effect of the activity of the One Creative
Power (the current) by which all things were made. Just as the figures on the
screen, the beam, the lens, the rolls of film, the light and electrical
current, are all part of one co-ordinated scheme for the projection of
pictures, so all the apparently separated portions of the universe are, in
reality, parts of a single mechanism. The function of this animate “machine” charged
with life-force is to create, project into matter and ultimately perfect
myriads of previously-conceived substances, objects and beings.

SOLAR ARCHANGELS

This principle of unity amidst diversity is well
exempli­fied by the Kingdom of the Gods. The totality of the Angelic Hosts and
nature spirits of a Solar System is a manifestation of one Solar Archangel of
unimaginable splendour, within whom all angels live, move and have their being.
From this centre and source of their existence all have emanated, and into it
all will ultimately return.

In order to manifest, the One Supreme Being becomes
expressed in three modes of activity, Three Aspects, each of which may be
presumed to find expression as an archangel only slightly less great than the
One Alone. These Three are creative, preserving and transforming Aspects,
masculine, androgyne and feminine creative potencies, and in their re­presentative
and presiding Archangels one of those forces will predominate. Although three
mighty Beings, they are also projections and expressions of the Primordial One.
These three Emanations in their turn unite in every possible combination to
produce a sevenfold self-expression of the Divine Monad. Each such expression
is represented in the Angelic Kingdom by a lofty Archangel, and all these
together are referred to in Christianity as the Seven Mighty Spirits before the
Throne, and elsewhere as the Seven Archangels of the Face, the Cosmocratores,
the Sephiroth.

The creative impulse shines forth as light from the
One, through the Three and the Seven to produce, at the highest spiritual
levels and under the laws of number and harmony, the ideal forms, the
Archetypes of every living thing in all kingdoms of Nature, including the human
and the angelic. An Archangel presides over each stage of the projection of the
Archetype. At every degree of densification, in each successively denser plane
of Nature, angels of appropriate Orders embody the power and intent of the
Creative Will- Thought and assist in its expression as evolving forms. This
hierarchical system obtains throughout all levels, each of the lower groups
being an expression of a single higher Intelli­gence.

On the astral and etheric planes,[44]
non-individualised nature spirits are the lowest Order in the hierarchy of the
Angelic Hosts. In their purely instinctive response to the will-thought of
their seniors, and in their apparently aimless, though unconsciously
purposeful, play, they correspond some­what to the various shades and colours
moving in the beam of the cinema projector, the visible universe coming into
existence as the result of their creative activity.

This hierarchical method of self-expression by the pri­mordial,
deific Principle, is also in operation through Orders of angelic directors of
the evolution of life and form in areas of differing dimensions. A single
Archangel thus presides over the Solar System as a whole. Each of its major
parts is also under the direction of an Intelligence of appropriate
evolutionary stature. Our Earth, for example, as a physical unit composed of
earth, water, air, fire and ether and its super­physical planes and life, is a
vehicle for the Archangel of the planet. For this Being, each of the physical
and superphysi­cal planes or spheres—seven in all—which together constitute the
whole Earth, is a vehicle of consciousness. The vast company of Solar and
Planetary angelic beings is sometimes referred to as the Army of the Light and
the Hosts of the Logos.

PLANETARY ARCHANGELS

The Archangels or Spiritual Regents of the planets,
each of whom maintains an Ambassador and an “Embassy” on Earth, have been
referred to somewhat graphically as Heaven­ly Snails [45]
who move with apparent slowness on their orbits round the sun, each carrying
their physical planet on their back like a house or shell. The astrological
attributes and psy­chological, mental and spiritual influences of heavenly
bodies emanate in large measure from these ensouling Intelligences.

The Archangel of a planet may be regarded as a
synthesis of all other Archangels, angels and nature spirits within the
planetary field. Immediately below the planetary Archangel may perhaps be
placed the Archangels of each of the seven planes or spheres, all the substance
of each of which is a vehi­cle for the Archangel of that plane. From this it
follows that each of the apparently individual angels of a plane is. in
reality, an expression of the power, the life and the con­sciousness of that
plane as a whole and of its Archangel. Comprehension of this fundamental unity
is all important in achieving contact, communion and collaboration with the
greater and lesser Gods.

Magic, it is said, is the process of producing visible,
phy­sical results determined upon by the trained will-thought of the magician
who has found the way to communicate with the appropriate angelic Intelligences
and win their collabo­ration. Magic has therefore been described as the power
to address the Gods in their own tongues.

THE CHERUBIM

The One Law also finds expression in great Archangels
of Light and is administered by them. These are said to be four in number, each
with innumerable subordinates in hierarchical order fulfilling the Law
according to the twofold principle of equilibrium and cause and effect. These
Four are sometimes called the Lipika,[46] or Recorders, and
sometimes the Devarajas of the four quarters of the compass,
the Rulers of the North, the South, the East and the West. They are personified
in the Egyptian religion by the great law-giver and chronologer, Tehuti and the
four Sons of Horus, Mestha, Hapi, Tuamutef and Qebhsennuf; in Judaism[47]
by the Four Holy Living Creatures, the Cherubim, or sometimes as a single
Cherub with four faces—of a man, an eagle, a lion and an ox—and by various
three or four-headed beings in other systems of angelology. In Christianity the
Lipika—assigned
to the Order of angels known as the Watchers—are personi­fied as the Recording
Angel who writes in a great book men’s deeds by which they are judged.

THE FIERY CROSS

The idea is not easy to comprehend that different kinds
of energy, each with its own occult properties, flow to and from the four
directions of space and that an Archangel is stationed at each quarter as
Director of that energy. In further explanation it may therefore be said that
the Creative Fite is conceived as descending vertically from zenith to nadir to
penetrate hitherto virginal, pre-cosmic substance or space, regarded
diagrammatically as horizontal. A cross is thus formed, the point of
penetration being at the intersection of the arms. This point in space denotes
the centre from which the creative and constructive process arises to transform
chaos into Cosmos. Here is the central sun. Here, the Logos as Creative
Intelligence and Power establishes the Cosmic Archetype or Ideation from which
all develops under the rule of Time, or throughout successive cycles.

The thought-imbued, descending Creative Fire radiates
horizontally from the point of intersection chiefly in the four lateral
directions or to the North, the South, the East and the West, to which it is
self-limited for purposes of manifestation. With the existing vertical rays,
the six-armed cross is thus formed, which is the fiery core of the resultant
Cosmos. The Cosmic Christos is symbolically crucified upon this cross and this
is mirrored in the Crucifixion of the historical Christ.

Each of the six creative rays or six arms of the cross
is conceived as possessing distinctive characteristics which find expression in
an Order of Intelligences. Thus to each quarter is attributed a special
influence and an Archangel with its associated Angelic Hosts, one hierarchy
being stationed at each corner of the Universe, as it were. Each Archangel is
also a Lord of one of the four elements, the fifth, aether, being associated
with the centre of the cross. As previously stated, these Intelligences are the
Sacred Four of World Religions, the Mind-born Sons of Brahma
and the Four Devarajas of Hinduism, the Cherubim and the
four-faced Archangels of Kabbalism and Judaism, including the four symbolic
animals of the vision of Ezekiel and associated with the four Evangelists.

The cosmic, fiery cross is said to revolve round its
verti­cal axis, as does the physical Cosmos round its Central Sun. This
gyratory motion is reproduced throughout Nature as the axial revolutions of
suns, planets and spinning chemical atoms in which electrons and other
particles follow planetary paths round their nuclei. Solar Systems, both in
groups and individually, and their component planets, also move through space
on orbital paths round central suns.

These axial and orbital motions of stellar, solar,
plane­tary and atomic bodies are physical manifestations of the revolutions
round the central Spiritual Sun at the nave or hub, of the six-armed cosmic,
fiery cross of three dimensions of which the swastika is a two-dimensional symbol.
The swastika is an equal-armed cross with short secondary arms at right angles
to the primary ones. These hooks, as they are sometimes called, represent the
flames and sparks which stream backwards as the fiery, fohatic[48]
cross revolves con­tinuously throughout creative Day.

Vortices, cosmic, nebular, stellar, solar, planetary
and atomic, whirlwinds in space, maelstroms in matter—and perhaps the chakras
of animals and men—are produced by this vast circumgyration of the cosmic cross
of Creative Fire. “Fohat,” it is said, “digs through space seven
holes.” [49]Fohat, however,
is not electrical energy alone. It is endowed with intelligence. It is, in
fact, a Being, though inconceivable as such by man, an Archangel of Fire, a
veritable God. The vertical descent of fiery power, of horizontal radiations
into the four quarters of the spherical field, the revolution of the resultant
cross, the formation of vortical centres at the heart and along the arms and
the creation and densification of universes and their components according to
cruciform and vortical de­signs—all this is directed by the so-called Seven
Sons (and Brothers) of Fohat, the great Gods of the six directions of
space, the Cosmocratores, the Archangels of the Face, the Sephiroth.

THE COSMIC CRUCIFIXION

The Seventh, the synthesis, the Cosmic Logos, the Spir­itual
Sun, the Christos by whom all things were made, is en­throned at the centre.
Thereon, throughout Manvantara, He is voluntarily self-crucified,
not in agony and death and downflowing sweat and blood, but in creative ecstasy
and with perpetually outpoured power and life. The Mighty Four, the Cherubim,
who are also the Recorders of the activities of the successive Nights and Days
down to the minutest events occurring to the smallest lives, the Lipika
or Archangels of Time and Law, are stationed at the extremities of the hori­zontal
arms. These four cosmic Beings at the arms of the horizontal cross are the
master-mathematicians, as it were, who comprehend the inconceivable complexity
of the everchanging- and ever-growing network of the karmas[50] of all universes,
planets and beings. Since representatives of these Angels of karma
administer the karmic law on this planet in order to effect
the greatest possible evolutionary advancement and the strictest justice for
every individual, they and their plane­tary agents, the karmadevas,
must be included amongst the Angelic Hierarchies of our Earth.

The whole human race is presided over by a lofty Arch­angel
who exerts continually a spiritualising influence upon the Higher Selves of all
men. This Archangel of the human race unifies itself at the level of Spiritual
Will, or Atma with every human Ego, and by lending its own far more highly
developed Atmic power to each, enhances for them the in­fluence of their own
Monad and its Ray. The degree of such enhancement and man’s response thereto
varies through thousands of centuries according to the effect of cyclic pro­gression
and the culmination and coincidence of component cycles. Nevertheless it is to
be assumed that this ministra­tion continues without intermission throughout
the whole world period[52] the duration of which,
in terms of physical time, has been said to be at least fifty million years.

Each well-established nation is similarly presided over
by a National Angel or Archangel Potentate. This lofty Intelli­gence is
associated more especially with the Egos of all mem­bers of the nation. It
unifies itself with each and continually enhances the spiritual power and life
of the Ego. On occasion it also sends an impulse down to the personality to act
in a manner which will best contribute to the fulfilment of dharma[53] and evolution to the
stature of the perfect man.

A National Angel may be studied from two distinct
points of view. According to one aspect, he may be regarded as a member of the
more elevated ranks of the Angelic Hierarchy who has been appointed to this
high office. In that capacity he works largely from the level of Spiritual
Will, from which he obtains a full knowledge of the karma[54] and the dharma
of his nation, and of the ideal development towards which it is part of his
duty to guide and inspire its people. His work is to quicken the evolution of
his nation and to inspire its leaders to make decisions which will help towards
the fulfilment of the national dharma; he seeks to
minimise the effects of errors and to exercise a restraining influence, so that
the nation may not depart unduly from the path leading to its highest destiny,
or fail to take its appointed place in the family of nations.

As previously stated, above the National Angels of the
world there is a still greater Being, who serves the whole human race on this
planet in a manner similar to that in which the National Angel serves his
particular race. Superior to this Official there are, in all probability,
interplanetary Angels who serve the whole of humanity in one Planetary Round,
Chain and Scheme[55].No doubt
this hierarchical system is extended to include Solar Systems, and even Cosmoi,
all of which are linked together by angelic beings of increasing spiritual
stature.

A somewhat similar hierarchical method would seem to be
employed by the advanced members of the human race forming the Great White
Brotherhood of Adepts,[56] who guide and guard
humanity throughout the ages. There are Adepts responsible for the evolution of
individual nations, still higher Officials who have charge of continents, and
above them the great Planetary Adept, Ruler, the Spiritual King who is the
earthly Representative of the Solar Logos. Complete and per­fect co-operation
is maintained between the human and angelic branches of this Inner Government
of the World. In the future, as higher orders of consciousness are unfolded and
a wider range of sensory response is developed, the human ministers responsible
for the religious, governmental and cultural development of a nation will
doubtless consciously collaborate with their spiritual superiors in both human
and angelic hierarchies. Then, at last, this earth will enter upon the
longed-for Golden Age.

To return to the conditions of the present time, the
inter­national Race Angel may be thought of as a weaver who uses as his threads
the national characteristics, the dharma and the karma
of the nations of the world, weaving them as the centuries pass into the
pattern which the nations will produce according to the plan held in the
Universal Mind, “the pattern on the mount”. By his weaving he is also drawing
the races together, helping to establish on earth the brotherhood of man. In
spite of his mighty power and his perfect under­standing of the divine Plan, he
seeks neither fo impose his will upon men nor to oppose the collective will of
a nation, however wrongly that will may be directed at any particular period.
For man must grow by virtue of his own experience and the unfolding life within
him.

The other aspect from which the National Angel may be
studied is more difficult to understand and to explain, for it pertains to
abstract levels of consciousness. In addition to the Angel’s life and work as an
individual, he is also the summation of the whole national consciousness. The
mil­lions of Egos incarnated in a nation to form the national Oversoul are
united in him. The three aspects of a nation’s life, the national karma,
dharma
and consciousness, meet and find a single expression in the National Angel.

Under the Lords of Karma, the National
Angel is granted a certain amount of latitude and control in the working out of
the nation’s karma. He can concentrate it, so that sections
are paid off quickly or he can extend it over long periods. He has a complete
knowledge of his nation’s capacity to en­dure adversity, of the amount of
adverse karma it is capable of bearing without suffering serious
evolutionary delay. He is also able to balance the favourable against the
adverse karma of the nation, to modify present conditions by
drawing on karma from the past.

In all this ministration, the Angel looks to the future
and to the fulfilment of the national dharma. He not only
lends his own power, but also utilises the capacities and characteris­tics of
the nation in guiding it towards the fulfilment of its highest destiny. In the
realm of Egoic consciousness, he is able at a given period to accentuate
national traits so that the nation, if responsive, then tends to pursue a
particular course. If the forces and qualities of a people are thought of as
being visible in terms of colour, then he may be said to cause a special colour
or group of colours to shine out at certain times with greater luminosity in
the consciousness of the nation.

Such, in small part, is the nature and the activity of
an Angel-Ruler. Occult tradition assigns to the Goddess, Pallas Athene, at
least down to the end of the Golden Age, the office of Archangelic Ruler of the
Grecian nation.

ANGEL BUILDERS OF HUMAN FORMS

Every human individual is also on occasion under the
direct care of a member of one of the Orders of the Angelic Hosts. Each cycle
of human rebirth is presided over by mem­bers of the Orders of angels which are
especially associated with man. As stated in Part I, Chapter IV, at each
successive rebirth individual human Egos receive the special assistance of
angels responsible for the construction of mental, emo­tional, etheric and
physical forms. These angels operate partly under the direction of
representatives of the Lipika. The choice of era, continent, nation,
religion, parents, en­vironment and opportunity, sex, type and condition of
body and degree of potential or actual health and disease, are all decided
according to Law by these presiding Intelligences and corresponding Adept
officials. The several karmas of the incarnating Ego, of the natal
nation, of members of groups with whom there will be association, of the whole
family and of the future husband or wife and children, are all fully consi­dered.
The inherent rhythm of the Monad-Ego, the ultimate destiny according to Monadic
temperament or Ray, the past karma and the immediate and future
missions are all reviewed and with unfailing justice the most favourable
choices are made under karmic circumstances.

Since the number of Monads using the Earth as a plane­tary
field is stated to be sixty thousand million, and all of those who are at
present passing through the human kingdom re­ceive this ministration, angels of
the Order responsible for the descent of the human Ego into incarnation are
thus inclu­ded in this enumeration of the angelic population of our globe.

The function of these beings is partially described in
the above- mentioned Chapter.

ANGELS OF RELIGIONS

Each major World Religion has its Archangel and angelic
ministrants appointed by high planetary Officials, Adept and Archangelic. The
highest of the Archangels of Religions preside over the reservoirs of spiritual
power appointed to each World Faith. They conserve and supply this power as it
is invoked, to the end of the maximum effectiveness. Each duly consecrated
Temple, Mosque, Cathedral, Abbey, Church and Oratory is placed under the
direction of a presiding angel of the Order associated with World Religions.
These con­serve both the power apportioned to the particular edifice and that
which is generated at the ceremony of Consecration. They also receive and
direct the uprising streams of human aspiration, worship and prayer and the
power, force and devo­tion evoked by ceremonial. In addition, they transmit the
responses from the Deity, the World Teacher, the Angelic Hosts and Members of
the Communion of Saints, together with the descending power from the reservoir.

The supreme Teacher of Angels and of Men, known in the
East as the Bodhisattva and in the West as the Lord Christ,
has under His direction, it is said, great companies of Arch­angels and angels,
who find in His service their continual de­light. In His perpetual ministration
to all mankind and to the members of the angelic and sub-human kingdoms, He
sends out according to their needs great streams of power, wisdom, blessing,
inspiration, healing and love. He employs hosts of angels to conserve, direct
and apply these expressions of His loving compassion for all that lives.

Angels also attend religious services for purposes of
devotion, and certain of them may be seen reverently hovering within the
radiance which surrounds the consecrated Elements.

The Eucharistic Ceremony is under the direction of an
exalted Angel, sometimes called the Angel of the Eucharist. At the moment of
the Consecration of the Elements, a glorious Angelic Being in the likeness of
the Lord Christ, known as the Angel of the Presence, descends upon the Altar as
His angelic representative. At the chanting of the Preface, when reference is
made to the Nine Orders of the Angels recognised in Christian angelology, who
are none other than the Sephi- rothal Angels, a representative of each Order
responds to the Invocation and bestows the power, light and benediction of his
Order upon Officiants, congregation, Church and sur­rounding regions.[57]

Other World Religions have equally the assistance of
appointed Orders of the Angelic Hosts. The great Hindu mantric[58] ceremony, known as
the Gayatri,
calls down Solar power and is the occasion for ministration to mankind by
Archangels and angels especially associated with the sun.[59]

All other valid (occultly effective and accepted by
Adept and Archangel Officials) ceremonial Orders throughout the world, and
especially those which, like Freemasonry, origin­ated in the Lesser and Greater
Mysteries and are still repre­sentative of them, also receive the benediction,
the presence and the co-operation of angels and Archangels.

GROUP SOUL ANGELS

The evolving, conscious life of the animal, plant,
mineral and elemental kingdoms of Nature, as previously stated, is under the
direction of appropriate Orders of angels. This life is not individualised, as
is the case in the human kingdom, where each human being is a fully
self-conscious, responsible individual.[60] Vast areas of the
Earth with its mineral con­tents, large numbers of trees, plants and insects,
and smaller numbers of animals and birds, are physical vehicles for a specific,
ensouling life which is called a Group Soul. The evolution of Group Souls
reaches its apotheosis in the animal kingdom, in which the number of physical
representatives becomes smaller and smaller until at last the process of indi­vidualisation—generally
of a domestic animal—occurs and a human soul is born. This aeonic unfoldment
and develop­ment is continuously supervised and aided by angelic minis- trants,
amongst whom are those who direct the process of the division of the animal
Group Soul into single human entities.[61]

THE INSECT KINGDOM

An Angelic Order exists which has evolved through the
insect-branch of Nature. Universal Mind contains the idea­tion of all possible
modes and forms of manifestation. The primordial ideation and Archetype
includes the insect king­dom in all its immense variety. Monads evolve through
that kingdom ultimately to become Solar and Cosmic Archangels associated,
though not exclusively with, that creative Ray.

If, in view of the fact that certain insects are
inimical to man, this concept should appear strange, it must be remem­bered
that parasitism, for example, is only loathsome when the host is conscious of
disequilibrium set up by the parasite. The types most objectionable in man’s
eyes, the disease-carry­ing and the blood-sucking, are no more repulsive in
reality than any other parasite. Since parasitism is the principle by which
physical life is enabled to persist, logically no indi­vidual parasite can be
condemned, however much its depre­dations must be resisted. The inherent
divinity of the more that of those which appear ugly and are hurtful to man. To
many minds, the beauty of the dragon­fly, the moth and the butterfly, would be
theii justification.

Just as Monads, manifested through other facets of
divine ideation, are guarded and aided by their evolutionary seniors, so are
those who, when their Rays first touch the phy­sical world, find their
embodiment as thousands of tiny insects. From then on throughout their upward
journey, which will culminate in becoming a perfected, divine being on one of
the Seven Rays[62] into which, the insect
kingdom, like every other, is classifiable, they are the subject of
ministration by their seniors. They pass their physical existence and achieve
all that is desired of them by passage through that kingdom as butterflies,
bees, beetles, ants or other leading examples of the insect Ray types, and pass
on to the superphysical worlds through which first as nature spirits and later
as rupa[63] and arupa
devas, they ascend to Archangelic heights and beyond. Monads
passing through the insect kingdom and the forms which they ensoul are
therefore of equal importance with all other manifestations, facets, modes and
forms of divine existence. Presiding over their Rays, their Orders and their
species are Archangels and angels, who not only shepherd the indwelling life
but preserve and fashion to greater beauty the insect form. Their presence as
guardians and tutors stimulates into action the natural instinct of the
numerous species to pursue those physical habits by which the genus is
perpetuated, the stages of gestation are successfully passed through, food is
found, mating is performed and eggs are deposited.

The mass instinct or race memory which leads each
variety to pursue its appropriate modes of life is stimulated and directed by
the angel tutors of the insect kingdom of Nature. In some cases, in earlier Manvantaras
they them­selves have evolved through that kingdom and know well its ways and
needs. Such angels would be embodiments, how­ever tenuous their forms, of that
aspect of the One Mind which finds expression and expansion in and through the
insect world. The all-protective, maternal Mind cares for its pro­geny in every
realm, partly by enclosing it within its protec­tive and guiding thought and
partly by the ministrations of certain Orders of the Angelic Hosts. The Group
Souls of insects, as also of birds, which find embodiment in very large numbers
of forms, are all under the direction of senior angel officials, each supported
or assisted by junior members of its own Order. Under this protection and
tuition the whole insect kingdom, like every other, evolves to higher states,
to more beautiful forms and to increased intelligence.

The development to which this process leads in Rounds
and Chains which follow the present Fourth (of each) can only be assumed. There
is, for example, a possibility, sup­ported by hints in occult literature, that
so high a degree of development of insect mind and form could be reached that
individualisation could occur and further evolution be con­tinued in that form.
This obtains in the present ascent from the human to the superhuman kingdoms
when the same phy­sical form is used, if one is retained, or the same kind of
form is assumed, if a new one is taken. Admittedly, the idea of an insect,
butterfly, ant, bee or beetle as large or as intelligent as modern man might
regard himself to be, may at first seem fantastic. If, however, one grants the
prolonged continuance of the evolutionary processes observable throughout
Nature and the existence and action of both Universal Mind and its angelic
embodiments, then there is at least nothing illogical in the supposition.

Beelzebub, the so-called, if mis-called, God of Flies [64]
may perhaps be regarded as an enemy of a human race which suffers from certain
classes of insects, but if thought of as a Lord of Scarabs [65]
or, indeed, of all insect life, Beelzebub, thus conceived, is divine rather
than Satanic. It is sometimes necessary to divest oneself of certain
preconceptions in order to be receptive to truth. This applies especially to
the popular ideas of such postulations as Satan, Moloch and Beelzebub as
Directors of processes and Lords of creatures which appear evil to man; for the
involutionary procedure which such imag­inary beings partly personify is as
important as the evolu­tionary process for which it is a preparation. Bees
gather honey and so feed man; they pollinate flowers and in this way also feed
man. Bees sting in self-protection and their sting is painful and can be mortal
to man, but they should not therefore be regarded as evil in themselves.

My own observations have led me to a belief in the exis­tence
of protective and directive angel guardians of bees. Once, whilst watching some
hives, I became aware of a very lofty angel established at the level of
abstract thought, whose aura displayed the typical colours of the bee body
sublimated to the higher mental level of intensity and delicacy of light and
colour. This Intelligence appeared to be an agent of an Archangel presiding
over the whole of bee life, conscious­ness, form and evolution upon this
planet. My notes made at the time state that a hierarchy of angels serves under
this

Archangel and is represented at the etheric level by
the nature spirit builders of the physical forms of bees. There was such an
angel connected with the hives at which this study was made, and presumably
there would be one with every active hive. These angels closely resemble other
angels associated with the subhuman kingdoms of Nature in temperament and
appearance, but yellow, gold and dark browns predominate in their auras. They
seem to regard the evolution of the bee as of very great importance and to take
seriously, though joyously, their work of directing, guarding and quickening
the evolution of bee consciousness. They are in continuous contact with their
superiors and, through them, with the plane­tary Archangel or Overlord of bees.

The queen bee in a hive shows astrally as a golden
centre of glowing light and colour within the luminous aura of the hive. She
shines therein as a nucleus, and is a centre of life, superphysically as well
as physically. Forces are continually flowing through her into the hive group
soul; these consist of life-forces and certain electro-magnetic, creative
energies for which she is a centre or focus in the hive. These forces flow
outwards from the centre in minute ripples and this ceaseless movement produces
a superphysical sound not un­like that of the buzzing of the bees. The shape of
the aura of the hive and community is that of the old-fashioned straw hive, i.e.,
a pointed dome with a flat base. Each bee appears to superphysical vision as a
speck or point of light, the queen’s aura being larger and brighter than that
of the other bees.

The angel appears to work especially for those of his
charges who are at the larva phase and to exercise a very dis­tinct and
definite protecting and guiding function at that stage, almost as though bees
on this planet were not yet quite capable, without such help, of passing
through all the growth processes after hatching. The angel also influences the
selec­tion, special feeding and development of the queen and makes the
necessary links between the permanent atoms,[67] the bee over-soul and
the selected queen.

The consciousness of the bee is instinctive and the
many evidences, of oitlered community life amongst bees result from a high
development of that instinct, rather than of intelli­gence. Here, again, the
work of the angel is of considerable importance in awakening the instincts of
the different groups in the community and in arousing the impulse towards
certain courses of conduct. Broadly, one might say that the queen is the life
centre of the community and the angel the directing intelligence. He unifies
his mind with the group conscious­ness of the hive and is to some extent
imprisoned therein, submitting to that limitation for the sake of the service
it enables him to render. Outside the hive, however, he has a certain measure
of freedom of consciousness though at the emotional and mental levels he seems
permanently attached to it, as if his complete withdrawal would mean an absence
of control, and consequent disorder in the community. Under this limitation
there is no sense of restriction; on the contrary, there is an absorbing
interest and delight in the work, the joy of the craftsman and the artist. The
angel is responsible for the development of both life and form, and is happy in
the knowledge that he is helping to perfect these and is playing his part in
the great evolutionary plan. Just as plants and trees are developing emotion,
the bee is developing mind. The queen represents the nascent higher, abstract
mind, the workers the lower, concrete mind, the drones the creative principle.
The creative urge is experienced as instinct, rather than desire; feeling
exists, but is reduced to a minimum, as if it had long ago been sublimated.

The angel, from whom I sought counsel, indicated that
attempts by man to co-operate with his kingdom were wel­comed and expressed the
hope that they foreshadowed the approach of an era of human and angelic
co-operation in bee culture, as well as in other branches of husbandry. Bees
will respond, he said to attempts by man to unify his conscious­ness with
theirs, just as plants respond, however faintly, to admiration and affection.
But there is a distinct danger of over-development in the culture of bees.
Their organisation is marvellously adaptable, but if they are over-exploited,
and if the hives are made too complex and artificial, harm will be done. Man
must recognise the evolving life in the bee, and not regard that insect as a
mere mechanical honey-gatherer for the sole benefit of the human race.

In other fields, other Orders of angels and nature
spirits perform analogous functions and use the Earth as a field of evolution
and activity, references being made to some of them in later parts of this work.
Numerous other Orders of angels are using this Earth as a field of evolution
and activity. In­formation concerning them is contained in Hindu and Bud­dhist
Scriptures, the literature of Kabbalism and in that great synthesis of Occult
Science, The Secret Doctrine, by H. P. Blavatsky.

ANGELIC forms are built of light, or
rather of tenu­ous material which is self-luminous; for every atom of their
bodies, as also of the worlds in which they dwell, is a glowing particle of
light. The form they use closely resembles our own and is, in fact, built upon
the same model as is the human physical body. As stated earlier and shown in
the illustrations, fairies and angels thus generally appear as very beautiful,
ethereal human-like beings. Their faces, however, wear an expression which is
distinctly non-human, for they are stamped with an impression of dyna­mic
energy, of vividness of consciousness and life, with a cer­tain supernal beauty
and an other-worldliness which is rarely seen among men.

The
appearance of the angels is also remarkable to hu­man sight on account of the
continual play of energy within and through their bodies and theii glowing
auras. They may be thought of both as agents, and even engineers, of the funda­mental
forces of Nature. The powers which they control and manipulate are continually
passing through and radiating from them, producing as they flow an effect which
somewhat resembles the aurora.

Distinct
force-centres, vortices and certain clearly de­fined lines of force are visible
in their bodies. In the auricdischarges definite forms are produced, which
sometimes suggest a crown upon the head and outspread wings of bril­liant and
ever-changing hues. The auric pinions, however, are not used for flying, for
angels move swiftly through the air at will, with a graceful, floating motion
and need no aids to flight. The old painters and writers, some of whom seem to
have caught glimpses of them, apparently mistook these flowing forces for their
clothing and their wings, and so depicted them as robed in human dress, and
even gave the angels feathers in their wings.

As
their bodies are formed of light, every variation in the flow of force produces
a change of colour. A change of consciousness is instantly visible as an
alteration in the shape and colour of their auras. An outpouring of love, for
exam­ple, suffuses them with a crimson glow while, in addition, a vivid stream
of roseate love-force flows out towards the object of their affection. Activity
of thought appears as an uprush of yellow light and power from the head, so
that they fre­quently appear as if crowned with a shining halo of light—a crown
of gold which is their thought, set with many jewels, each jewel an idea.
Perhaps this is the origin of one of their titles in Hinduism, Chitra Shikhandina,
“the bright-crested”.

All the
phenomena of emotion and thought which we term subjective, are objective to
angels, as also to men endow­ed with superphysical vision. Angels thus see
thought pro­cesses, emotions and aspirations as external and material
phenomena; for they live in the worlds of feeling, thought, spiritual intuition
and spiritual will. Their “speech” pro­duces colour and form rather than sound.
A system of sym- bology is included in their mode of communication, symbols and
flashes of colour always appearing in the superphysical worlds as natural
expressions of both human and angelic thought. The angels’ sense of the oneness
of Life is so vivid that their every thought expresses an aspect of the
fundamental truth of unity. This gives to their colour conversations a depth
and a beauty not present in the ordinary interchange of human thought. They are
incapable of a concept .either purposeless or untrue, or which fails in some
measure to ex­press that inherent divinity of which they never lose conscious­ness,
and which illumines and inspires their every thought and deed. In this respect
their colour language somewhat resembles the ancient Senzar, in which each
letter and syllable is an expression of a basic truth. Unlike that ancient
priestly tongue, however—the product of profoundly inspired minds —the mental
language of the angels is instinctive and natural, calling for no conscious
effort on their part in the choice and production of colour, form or symbol.

An
angel who on occasion has mentally instructed me concerning his[69] Kingdom, also provided examples of angelic
communication and of the operation of the law by which superphysical matter
assumes appropriate form and colour in response to the impact of thought. An
account of two of these lessons is here given from notes taken at the time. I
must, however, first explain that arupa[70]devas are in the highest degree impersonal, impassive,
detached. Their conscious­ness is universal and exclusively concentrated upon
their tasks. They are not normally accustomed to experience any personal
attachments whatever. Rupa
devas associated with the evol­ving life in Nature do not, as far
as I am aware, usually ex­perience or express the emotion of personal love.
Their minds are universal and their “hearts” belong to the One Life of which
they are impersonal embodiments. Certain rupa devas, however, may be regarded as
incarnations of the qualities of divine love, compassion, tenderness for all
that lives and these do feel, in however sublimated and impersonal a manner, a
sense of unity with each other and with man.

1 As before stated, the masculine pronoun is used for
convenience only, angels being asexual.

1 See footnote 2, p. 81.

As the
following descriptions indicate, their love power can become temporarily
directed to persons but without the faintest tinge of I-ness and
possessiveness.

Certain
nature spirits on the threshold of individualisa­tion into angelhood,
particularly those associated with the element of air—fairies and sylphs—can
feel attracted towards men who possess the power consciously to enter their
king­dom and communicate with them. Their submission to this attraction is
rarely complete and even whilst seeking to allure the object of their
affections, they do not usually con­ceive a permanent relationship. Such close
mento-emo- tional associations with human beings can be helpful to them even
though very harmful to their human partner. For them, the attainment of
individualisation might be hastened by a blending of their mento-emotional
nature with that of an individualised human being, but for man the adventure
would be likely to lead to insanity.

Medieval
legends in which sylphs and other nature spirits for their own advantage seek,
and even physically attain, unions with men are probably more allegorical than
historical. Physical union would demand materialisation on the part of the sylph
which is most unlikely and, if ever attained, very rare. It would seem to be
more probable that a veiled refer­ence is being made to the evolutionary value
to such nature spirits of close psychical association and collaboration with
members of the human family.

An
occult tradition does exist that, as an exception to that impersonality which
is characteristic of highly evolved devas, intimate egoic attachments with
human beings have been formed and have even become so strong as to cause the deva to seek
and obtain admission to the human kingdom in order to be near the beloved human
being. Birth in a human body then follows and, when a physical meeting with the
beloved occurs, a very deep and fiery love is awakened in both of them. So
strong is this emotion, that, if conven­tional barriers exist, they are
ignored. Tragedy is not in­frequently the result.

A CONVERSATION IN COLOUR

Whilst
resting in the garden of my cottage in Gloucester­shire, I observed the angel
teacher travelling at a great height in the air and sent out a greeting and a
mental call for further knowledge concerning the Angelic Hosts. At once he
paused in his “flight” and descended steeply towards the garden. As he came
down, he sent an answering stream of love, which extended from the region of
his heart and appeared as rays of glowing rose and crimson light. This
outflowing love resembled a flower, for the sides of the funnel form which it
produced were divided into petals and in the centre was a brilliant golden “rose”,
the whole opening gradually as the angel drew near. This “flower” pulsed
rhythmically and the lines of force of which it was composed quivered as he
poured forth his affection and life-force. He resembled a glorious Greek God,
upon whose breast was an open rose. The petal­like radiations reached out and
over me, the maximum diam­eter of the “flower “being about eight feet. A
continuous play of brilliantly coloured force in bands of varying size and
degrees of luminosity also shone above the angel’s head.

Another
angel, chiefly blue in colour, soon appeared and the two engaged in “conversation”.
As they “spoke” their auras reached out towards each other, touched and drew
back, like the wings of celestial butterflies. They were about twenty-five
yards apart, and a little above the fruit trees in the orchard. The fluidic
nature of their auras was demon­strated by the ease with which they extended
them to cover the intervening space. They “spoke” both with their hearts and
their minds, for colours and symbols appeared in the emotional and mental
matter of their auras, above their head for the most part, but also flashing between them with
a rapi­dity and brilliance quite beyond my capacity to observe fully and record
accurately. The main theme of the first angel found its natural expression
through that soft, pale green sometimes seen in a summer sunset, this shade
appearing continually both in the bands of colour above his head and in the
symbol formed; it also tinged the larger portion of his aura, suggesting the
qualities of sympathy and under­standing.

Three beautiful forms like vertical, elongated scallop shells
next appeared and hovered in the air above his head, quivering with life and
light; in colour they were rose, yellow, and dark blue deepening to purple.
Presently they expanded into the shape and appear­ance of large fans, met and
became inter­woven into one large, fan-shaped radia­tion. Alternately widening
and narrowing, the single stream of flowing force extended high into the air
and then disappear­ed. From his brother angel this called forth a perfect blaze
of response, like a pyrotechnic display. His first answer turned the upper part
of his aura into three bands of colours of the same shades as the shells; it
then swept forward and embraced the first angel, holding him thus for some two
or three seconds and then withdrawing. Three greatly enlarged fan-shaped
symbols next appeared above him in succession, each symbol disappearing into
the upper air in a flash of colour. A radiant smile illumined his face, and it
was evident that the remark of the first angel had touched some respon­sive
chord in his nature.

The first angel then explained to me the meaning of this
interchange. The blue angel who was the second to appear contained within
himself something of the fundamental forces and qualities of character
underlying the second, fifth and seventh Rays.[71] His life was an expression of the
deepest love and the highest intellect, whilst in his work he displayed per­fect
precision of action. These qualities represented his ideal of perfection and he
was consciously linked with an Arch­angel Superior in whom they were fully
developed. In all Nature he perceived predominantly these three powers, traced
the effects of their operation in members of the human race and expressed them
in all his own activities.

In
order to help human beings, for example, he would unify himself with their love
nature, enhancing the human power of love by adding to it his own impersonal
and universal affection. He would help scientists by stimulating their men­tal
powers, by increasing their capacity for profound abstrac­tion, and would
endeavour to illumine their minds with the solution of any problems which they
were seeking to solve. He would assist artists, actors, dancers and
ceremonialists to attain greater perfection, grace and beauty of portrayal and
more accurate expression of the idea by which their art was inspired. He would
similarly aid his brother angels and the evolving life in the sub-human
kingdoms of Nature. In all his activities these three characteristics would
predominate, forming the background of his life and the source of his
inspiration.

The
first angel, with deep and intuitive sympathy, dis­cerned this fact and
mentally expressed his brother angel’s ideals with all the fullness and
completeness of which he
was capable, thereby producing the three shell-like forms in the
colours typical of the three Rays. The second angel respond­ed by causing the three highly
developed qualities of his
nature to shine out successively in greatly enlarged fan­shaped forms.

This
account, lengthy as it is, is still but a very incomplete description of an
interchange of thought and feeling between the angels, which probably lasted no
more than a minute. The use of the word “Ray” fails adequately to express the
concept in the angel’s mind; he would probably call it an aspect of the Divine
Life and Consciousness which is projected as a tongue of flame from the central
fiery heart of things, or a stream of specially attuned vital energy permeating
the uni­verse. These conceptions were included within each of the shell-shaped
symbols which, it will be noticed, are apt repre­sentations of the fundamental
idea. The point of the shell would be at the central source of power which, as
it poured forth, would widen out into the fan shape.

Each of
these symbols consisted of radiating lines of force, the number of which I was
not able to count, though doubtless that also would have its significance. As
the whole symbol took form, the lines of force crossed each other and became
interwoven until a broad, expanding stream of the three types of energy was
formed. Each stream, however, could still be traced, because it maintained its
own shape and colour in spite of the interweaving. The combined effect of these
three aspects of Life working both in and through the second angel and in
Nature was most appropriately portrayed by this shell-like form.

The
angel further explained that, in addition to this colour language, there is a
direct interchange of ideas at mental levels. The colours and symbols are
largely produced by that interchange, though they may also be used as
illustrations and elucidations of the central idea.

THE DANCE OF THE SYLPHS

The
aerial heights above the district of Gloucestershire in which these teachings
were received are peopled with vari­ous orders of nature spirits, and
especially with sylphs of differ­ing degrees of development. The angel teacher
referred to in the preceding description, still remaining near the ground,
turned his attention upwards, opened his arms towards the sky and sent out a
call which had the effect of bringing a large number of sylphs down into the
garden where I was seated. As they descended they drew together in groups, and
their blended auras produced the effect of living, sylph-made cloud forms,
rose-coloured for the most part and brilliantly self-luminous. They brought
with them an atmosphere of superabundant joy, as of a happy band of older
children sud­denly released from school, though in their case the opposite had
occurred, as the angel called them from the freedom of the upper air to serve
as subjects for human education.

The
summons consisted of a strong and highly concen­trated stream of will-power
clothed in mental matter, a will- thought, a mental “shout” as it were. From
the upper por­tion of the angel’s aura a number of small, cone-shaped forms
also flashed into the air point upwards; the main colouring was rose, though
the points were tipped with steel-blue. Each one “struck” a sylph, attracted
its attention and conveyed an order, in response to which it descended. The
angel was so far above them in evolution that an expression of his thought and
will amounted to a command.

The
angel smiled on them and rose-coloured rays of love shone from the sylphs
towards the angel, each one drawing immediate response from him, his aura
becoming suffused with a rosy light. He extended it laterally into tw'o
wing-like radiations and then stretched these forward until they envelop­ed and
passed beyond the group of sylphs, who were thus played upon by the intensely
vivid and luminous auric ener­gies of the angel. With these auric “wings” he
maintained a continual, graceful sweeping and swinging movement back­wards and
forwards between himself and the sylphs, each beat of the “wings” pouring more
life and love into them and filling them with an added joy, until their state
became one of rapture.

Towards
each other, they displayed considerable mutual affection, many of them “standing”
with arms outstretched to rest upon each other’s shoulders. When these
felicitations were completed, a concerted movement began in which all were
linked in this way, the whole group arranging itself in circular tiers into the
shape of a convolvulus flower. One sylph formed the point; three formed a
circle above it, all facing inwards; the remainder formed ring upon ring, each
larger than the one below, the whole glowing and flashing with rosy light,
within which the natural colours of their auras appeared like the changing hues
of an opal. Then the whole “flower” began to turn, all the sylphs moving
together and maintaining perfectly the convolvulus flower form. Their faces
bore an expression of joy and their long “hair” floated out behind them and
their shining auric robes blending in expression of their perfect unity of
feeling and of thought.

They
revolved with increasing rapidity, until the angel gave the signal of dismissal
by his raising his right hand above his head. Then the whole group, still
revolving and main­taining the flower formation, rose high into the heavens,
after which each ring opened out into a line and broke up into groups of two
and three sylphs. Still rotating and rising as it turned, the flower form
created in superphysical matter by this aerial dance remained, shining in
heavens. Shortly afterwards, as if perceiving this and animated by a new idea,
the sylphs re-formed into one big circle round the “flower” and by united
thought built an enclosing, translucent sphere of the soft green colour of the
teaching angel’s aura. This did not “grow” entirely into a closed sphere, but
remained open at the top, streams of energy flowing up through the interior of
the form to play out into the air above.

A
certain abandon now became apparent in the move­ments of the sylphs, who
continued to wheel with extremerapidity
round the flower form. Their heads were thrown back and their bodies were
curved outwards from the circle. At last they dispersed glancing and sending
towards the angel thoughts of love which descended upon him in a shower of
crimson cones. These entered his aura, within which they flowed for a time with
rosy light.

The flower
form was evidently created as an offering and the dance was an expression of
love, unity and joy, performed in honour of the angel who called them, to whom
they paid the compliment of building the surrounding form in the pre­dominating
colour of his aura. A smile lighted his face as he turned to me in a gesture of
farewell, and then disappeared.

THE ASTRAL AND THE ETHERIC
FORMS

ON the lower rungs of the ladder of the Angelic Hierarchy
are to be found the nature spirits of the four subtle elements of earth, water,
air and fire. The English countryside where these studies were made is well
populated with the almost infinite variety of denizens of these four kingdoms
of Nature.

My
observations suggest that nature spirits use two dis­tinct forms. One of these
is the permanent astral body and the other a temporarily materialised etheric
vehicle. The astral form consists of a spherical, many-coloured aura sur­rounding
the delicate, force-built fairy form within. The etheric vehicle is assumed for
at least two reasons. One is that, when an etheric body is worn, an added sense
of indivi­duality or entity is experienced by the nascent mind, which is
normally unselfconscious and diffused throughout a group. The other is that an
increased vitality and vividness of life are attained by closer contact with
the physical world, both during seasons of plant germination, growth and full
development, and in bright sunshine. These experiences provide pleasure. Under
these conditions nature spirits emerge from the astral into the etheric levels
where they become more easily visible and are more generally first seen. There
they dance, play, see each other, and human beings to some extent, imitate them
and on occasions become attached to those sufficiently sensitive to respond to
their presence and even communicate with them.

When
the etheric form is assumed, its shape would appear to be governed by at least
three influences. The first of these is that of the Archetype, which is the
same for both the Angelic and the human kingdoms. The second is the
modification of the Archetype characteristic of the nature spirits of each of
the four elements of earth, water, air and fire. Variations of each of these
are also to be observed at different levels-be­low, on and above the surface of
the earth, in diverse natural conditions and in differing districts.

The
third influence is exerted by the human habits, the dress and the popular
thought con­cerning the appearance of fairy peo­ple of particular times and
places.

Certain
periods in history have thus left their mark upon the nature spirit kingdom.
The gnome shape appa­rently dates from the first physical inhabitants of the
planet in ancient Lemurian[72] days. The impress of Atlantean thought
is still to be seen upon the Greater and Lesser Gods of such countries as
Central and South America and the Pacific Islands and Archipelagos which were
for long periods inhabited by Atlanteans. The appearance of other nature
spirits of earth is evidently moulded according to the medieval European
rustic, of whom the brownie is in part a miniature reproduction. Whole tribes
of earth nature spirits are to be found in
England wearing an Elizabethan style of male attire.[73] Fairies frequently assume a relatively modern
appearance, even to the style of “hair,” as is also shown in the fairies who
were photographed by the two children in Yorkshire.[74] Some nature spirits assume the blacksmith’s attire,
and even carry thought-made tools, others the .cobbler’s, whilst, others again,
consciously or unconscious­ly, display similar forms of mimicry of human
activities, habits and dress.

Fairy
thought is powerfully formative upon astral and etheric matter. As far as their
limited powers of observation permit, they delight to copy the appearance of
such human beings as they can see, an art at which they are very expert. In
North America the earth nature spirits are often nude to the waist and wear
what appear to be leather or buckskin trousers, these sometimes being fringed
after the habit of the American Indian, Their auras, too, are not infrequently
arranged in concentric bands of colour, causing them some­what to suggest the
appearance of the Indian war bonnet of dyed eagle feathers. Unclothed, black
gnomes resembling aborigines are to be seen in South Africa and Australia
whilst certain earth nature spirits in New Zealand look rather like miniature,
half-dressed Maori men.

All
descriptions of the hair, wings and garments of nature spirits, especially
including the appearance of filmy, gossamer­like clothing, refer to
densifications, to the level of the fourth sub-plane from above of the ether,
of certain inner portions of their astro-etheric auras. Wands, on the other
hand, appear spontaneously as symbols of authority, forms natural­ly assumed by
the attribute of rule by instinctual will by the leaders of concerted movements
of nature spirits which control and direct those in their charge.

The
consciousness of these fairy creatures normally func­tions upon the astral
plane which is a life plane. When a more objective self-expression is entered
upon, a process of self-clothing in the matter of the ether which is a form
plane is more or less instinctively carried out. This culminates in the
temporary creation of an etheric body ensouled, inter­penetrated and surrounded
by the astral creator. The repro­duction as relatively fixed forms of currents
in the astral aura and the formation of garlands, belts and wands as expressive
of attributes are natural processes. They are, I believe, mani­festations in
the small world of fairy of those Cosmic creative processes and laws by which
external Nature comes into exis­tence as an expression of THAT from which it
emanates. Admittedly the nature spirit forms are illusory and evanescent, but
so is the whole objective universe from the point of view of ultimate reality.

This
microcosmic expression of Macrocosmic powers and laws gives even to the
smallest forms and beings of nature their profound interest and significance.
The chemical atom is thought to reproduce in ultra-microscopic proportions the
form and interior movements of a solar system, themselves both manifestations
of still greater units and objective expres­sions of universal numerical and
geometrical principles. Similarly, my observations have led me to believe the
forms of elf, fairy and dryad are the result of the operation of the laws by
which the Cosmos is built. A study of these beings can, therefore, lead the
observer from the minute effect to the great Cause, from the single existence
to the general principle.

The
remarks and descriptions which follow are admit­tedly limited, both in range
and understanding, being taken from records of my first halting attempts to
investigate the Kingdom of Fairy. For the sake of accuracy, however, they are
presented almost as then written, rather than expanded in the light of later
knowledge. If further explanation and even apology be needed for the inclusion
of so much of the apparent trivia of fairy lore in this work, I would answer that in the
light of fuller knowledge the little people may be found to occupy, however
unconsciously, positions of importance in the fulfilment of Nature’s mysterious
plans and processes. The power of the single cell to move, breathe, reproduce
and nourish itself and that of groups of cells to communicate, co­operate and
co-ordinate their activities in the development of organic bodies, may be
explained by the presence and instinctually directive influence of the nature
spirits. Amoeba are known to move towards a conjoined, communal existence
stimulated and guided physically by certain chemical sub­stances. The origin
and action of such substances and of the mechanism apparent in the evolution of
the slime moulds and their successors in the scale, may perhaps be traceable to
the activities of invisible, astro-etheric organisms of the order of the nature
spirits of the four elements.

Nothing
in Nature is insignificant. The extremely minute is as important as the
inconceivably vast. Dimension and apparent significance in the light of present
human knowledge cannot be regarded as standards of importance. Moreover since
the smallest atom and the greatest Archangel are pro­duced, shaped and evolved
in accordance with the same laws, a study of the minute and the apparently
unimportant can lead to a comprehension of all that exists. From this point of
view a nature spirit is of as much consequence as a creative God and those who
take all Nature for their field of study can hardly afford to neglect these
embodiments of Nature’s in­dwelling life. Nature spirits may one day be found
to be links in the chain of causation by which a universe is conceived,
mentally “named” and its “name” or “word” uttered so that the sound thereof
causes the primordial single concept to become manifest as physical nature in
all its infinite com­plexity and variety of evolving beings, species and forms.

I admit
that I have also been moved by the thought that readers—and those read to—of
tender years may find in these descriptions much that will entertain, and
perhaps provide later on an easy gateway to a deeper study of the Kingdom of
the Gods. There is, moreover, a further reason for interest in the elementáis of earth, water, air and fire which
will be apparent to those of my readers who are interested in alchemy.

The
European brownies I have studied, though differing considerably in detail, have
always presented certain common characteristics which place them unmistakably
in their own family.

A
medieval style of attire is generally affected. A short brown coat, sometimes
with a wide scalloped collar, bright buttons and facings of green, brown
knee-breeches, rough stockings and two distinct kinds of boots are worn. Some­times
a large, heavy “agricultural” boot is seen, and at others a long, pointed,
lighter shoe. One way in which variations can occur is suggested in the
description given later of the manufacture of a pair of fairy shoes.

A
pointed cap is the usual head-dress, though a low- brimmed hat occasionally
replaces the nightcap-shape more generally worn. Groups of brownies, apparently
believing themselves to be hard at work, have been seen wearing aprons closely
resembling those worn by blacksmiths; bright buckles and clasps are generally
part of their equipment. Working brownies carry and pretend to use tools,
chiefly spades and picks, with which they delve in the earth with great earnest­ness.
Some tribes of brownies are short and squat, with fat, round bodies and short
limbs, others being slim and youthful in appearance. Their height varies from
some four to twelve inches. Usually the face is that of an old man, with grey
eye­brows, moustache and beard, red complexion and a weather­beaten aspect. The
eyes are small and beady and the expres­sion simple and kindly.

By
nature they are communicative and friendly crea­tures, living in tribes and,
like most of the fairy peoples, highly imitative of man in their habits, their
attire and their methods of work and play. They belong to the soil and have
much of the rustic simplicity of the tiller of the ground. What function they
perform in the processes of Nature is not clear;[76] they are generally to be found on or just beneath the
surface of the ground. I have seen them digging most solemnly amongst the roots
of growing plants, yet such an expression of mock seriousness and make-believe
pervades all their acti­vities that it is never quite clear whether they regard
their endeavour as work or play. The following accounts of nature spirits of
earth, water, air and fire are taken from descriptions of scenes observed on
different occasions, and may help to an understanding of these little people.

A BROWNIE VILLAGE

On the
steep side of one of the crags on the western shores of Thirlmere is a very
large colony of brownies; they live a few feet below the ground level and spend
their time as much beneath as above the surface. I see a number of small
houses, just under the surface of the hill. Quite perfect in shape, with
windows and doors, they are scattered irregularly about the hillside, and amongst
the leaves, the roots and the rocks which surround them numbers of brownie
figures are to be seen. The following is an attempt to describe one of these
selected at' random.

Not
more than six inches high, he looks like a little old man, wearing a brown hat
shaped like a nightcap, and a brown suit consisting of what appears to be the
brownie regu­lation knickerbockers, stockings and boots. The face is
grey-beared and bears the impress of an ancient rusticity. Undoubtedly there is
the make-believe of domestic life, though I do not see any female figure in
this fairy village. Brownies literally swarm over this hillside and vary little
in appearance, expression or intelligence. They seem to be just “evolving” here.
They differ from any brownies I have pre­viously seen in that they do not
appear to “work” in connec­tion with any processes of Nature; though they
venerate the trees, they do not serve them in any capacity.

One of
a younger looking type of nature spirit which also lives here has now
approached me and, standing some two or three yards on my right, is proceding
to display him­self with extravagant gestures and simple-minded humour. He is
much slimmer than the older-looking brownies, and has a touch of colour about
him—a little red on the hat (which is conical with the point hanging back) and
a little green in his costume. I hardly think he can be a brownie; his feet run
down to a point, his nether limbs are thin and elongated and his hands are too
large for the rest of his body. He rests his left hand on his hip and points
with his right hand in the direction of the wood, as if proudly displaying the
beauties of the place. Added to his pride there is a good deal of vain glory
and childish self-satisfaction. His face is clean-shaven and red, his eyes small,
his nose and chin prominent, his mouth very wide and still further expanded
into a grin. His gestures and postures are extravagant and amazing. His body is
so supple that he can bend and stretch to almost any position.

I
cannot persuade him to approach any nearer, as when I try to do so he
immediately begins to show apprehension. He appears to feel uncomfortable,
though not, I think, really afraid. The human aura is inharmonious to him and
he would probably lose his equilibrium within it. By contrast I realise how
ethereal and fragile is his make-up, possessing less consistency than a puff of
wind; yet the form is clearly outlined and the details are sharply defined.[77]

Looking
again at the brownie community and striving to grasp some of the details of its
life, certain peculiar facts present themselves. For example, an endeavour to
see the inside of their houses showed to my surprise that when one “went in at
the door” there was nothing there! The outside shape is fairly perfect and
quite picturesque, but the inside is just darkness. In fact, the illusion of a
house entirely dis­appears when the consciousness is directed to the interior.
Certain fine lines of flowing magnetism are all that one sees. The brownies
enter by the door and then put off the brownie form, descending deeper into the
earth in a relatively formless state. They all seem to have the conception of
being busy, hurrying about the place in a pseudo-serious manner; but to me the
whole thing is pure make-believe.

The
houses do not belong to any individual or group. Any member of the colony uses
them, this “use” being limited merely to passing in and out through the door.
They cer­tainly get some satisfaction from contemplating the exterior of these
thought-built structures. I do not see, belonging to these woodland brownies,
any of the working tools, satchels or aprons which I have noticed on other
occasions. They appear to be less intelligent and less highly evolved and far
more aimless in their existence than any others I have met.

MANUFACTURE OF FAIRY BOOTS

Among
the little folk on this hillside facing Helvellyn, the first to be observed is
an elderly brownie who, now that we have seated ourselves, steps out to the
edge of the firewood behind us. He is some six or eight inches high and wears a
long, pointed cap, like a slightly imperfect cone, and a little green jerkin
scalloped at the lower edge and falling about his hips; it is edged with brown,
fastened with buttons and has a broad, cape-like collar, also scalloped and
edged. Little trousers complete his attire. At first he shows the lower limbs
of an elf, elongated and pointed. He has a long, grey, scanty beard, and both
his face and body are thinner and more austere than those of the usual brownie.
He reminds me slightly of a caricature of Uncle Sam, clothed in the constume of
Falstaff.

He
takes much interest in our dog and fearlessly approaches close to its nose. He
appears unable to take in the group as a whole. He realises the presence of
human beings, but the first detail which strikes him is the type of boots which
I am wearing— canvas-topped, army gum-boots. After look­ing at mine steadily he
proceeds to make himself a very res­pectable imitation of them, of which he is
inordinately proud. His simple mental image is quite sufficient to cover his
own feet with a copy of the pair of boots at which he looks so admi­ringly.
After strutting about for a time, as if to get used to them, he finally stalks
off into the woods.

ELVES

Elves
differ from other nature spirits chiefly in that they are not usually clothed
in any reproduction of human attire, and their bodily constitution consists of
one solid mass of etheric substance, entirely without interior organisation.

WOOD ELVES

Two
tiny wood elves come racing over the ground past us, as we sit on a fallen tree
trunk. Seeing us they pull up about five feet away and stand regarding us with
considerable amusement, but quite without fear. They appear as if com­pletely
covered in a tight-fitting, one-piece skin, which glistens as if wet, and is
coloured like the bark of a beech tree. There is a large number of these
figures racing about the ground. Their hands and feet are large out of all
proportion to the rest of their bodies. Their legs are thin and their ears run
up­wards to a point, being almost pear-shaped. Their noses, too, are pointed
and their mouths wide. No teeth, no struc­tures, exist inside the mouth—not
even a tongue, so far as can be seen—just as if the whole were made up of a
piece of etheric jelly. A small green aura surrounds them. The two I am
specially observing live in the roots of a huge beech tree. Now they disappear
through a crevice, into which they walk as one might enter a cave, and sink
below the ground to become merged into the etheric double of the tree.

SEASIDE ELVES

Playing
on the shore, amongst the seaweed and the stones, are queer little elf-like
forms. They have oversize heads, elfish faces, large ears, little round bodies
and short, thin legs ending in feet which appear almost web-like. They are from
three to six inches in height, are familiar with human beings and are in no way
disturbed by their presence. They are apparently concerned with the life and
the cell processes of seaweed.

GNOMES

“Gnome”
is a generic title for the nature spirits of the element of earth. Investigation
shows that while all the types of traditional fairy exist in Nature, there are
wide divergences within each type. Some of the differentiations are so great as
to call for new names and new classifications. In the fu­ture, when doubtless
the naturalist, ethnologist and explorer will enter Fairyland and text-books of
the Kingdom of Fairy will be studied in every school, special names will of
necessity be given to all the many and various kinds of fairy people. As I find
the traditional names to be the most satisfactory from many points of view, I
have classified such inhabitants of Fairyland as I have studied under the name
given to the race they most nearly resemble.

Tree
creatures and winged manikins are described under this heading, although they differ
in many important partic­ulars from the true gnome. The students may hesitate
to accept the existence of a winged gnome which lives in a tree; nevertheless,
so far as my observation goes, those I have class­ed under this heading
resemble the gnome more closely than any other type. I shall class as “gnomes”,
therefore, several creatures which differ in many respects from the gnome of
fairy tradition.

The
true gnome normally lives within the etheric double of the earth, is usually
thin and lanky, grotesque in appearance, cadaverous and lantern-jawed and is
sometimes a solitary. He gives the impression of extreme old age; his whole
appearance and bearing are utterly different from those of present-day man. His
arms are too long for our sense of proportion and, like his legs, are bent at
the joints as if they had grown stiff with age. The complexion is very rough
and coarse, the eyes are small and black, sloping slightly upwards at the
sides. As has been said, the gnome is apparently a relic of the days of ancient
Lemuria, and if this is true it may mean that the type is a representation of
the appearance of the peoples of those days. The earth gnome is not a pleasant
type of elemental; those met with in England have been either quite black or
peat-brown in colour and though I have rarely incurred their active hostility,
their atmosphere is decidedly unpleasant.

AN EMBRYO ROCK GNOME

Deep
within the solid rock behind us there is an evolving consciousness which
manifests chiefly as formless blotches of colour within the otherwise almost
colourless elemental essence of the rock—a sort of embryo gnome. The begin­nings
of a head, with eyes and mouth, are visible in shadowy outline, but the rest of
the body is only faintly suggested, like the preliminary work of an artist who
might put in his main patches of colour and leave the clear outlines to a later
stage. But for this vagueness, the creature would be excessively ugly, not to
say monstrous in appearance. To etheric sight, the whole rock is transparent
and its inhabitant appears as if within a huge celluloid receptacle, through
which it is but hazily aware of its surroundings. The only power of volition
that it appears to possess is that of slowly changing the focus and direction
of its dim and limited consciousness; this it does very vaguely and dreamily.
The presence of this cre­ature gives a certain individuality to the rock,
noticeable on the physical plane as specialised magnetic vibration. It is
difficult to judge the size of the gnome, but it is probably ten to fifteen
feet high. The embryo feet are deep below the sur­face of the earth in which
the rock is buried, and the head some three feet from the top of the rock.

AN ENGLISH FAIRYLAND

Deep in
the heart of the Cotswold district of England there is a lovely, verdant valley
through which no highway passes. Its name, said to mean “Vale of Peace”, truly
indicates one of its greatest charms. The ubiquitous motor- bus brings parties
of tourists to nearly all the famous beauty spots of Britain, but not to the
Vale of Peace.

The
winding valley is perhaps two miles in length. Its steep hillsides are partly
covered with thick beech-woods, with here and there a grove of larch and fir.
Dotted about on the green hillsides are the grey stone cottages and farms of
which the little village consists. A stream runs through wood and meadow and
flows with gentle murmur past orchards and cottage gardens to the great world
beyond. Within the valley there is green beauty, a wealth of wild flowers,
seclusion and the peace of the countryside. The woodmen’s voices and the blows
of their axes, the call of the birds, the lowing of the cattle in the pastures,
the sighing of the trees in the soft breezes, are the only sounds which nor­mally
reach one in summer time when gazing on the restful scene. These are blended to
form a harmonious undertone, the song which Nature sings in those places where
her beauty is unspoiled. Sometimes, on calm and windless summer days, the
valley seems to be steeped in silence and in peace.

TREE MANIKINS

The fairy
folk seem less shy of human beings in these woods and meadows than elsewhere.
The tree nymphs, the water spirits and the numerous tribes of little brownie
men have not learned as yet to shrink and hide themselves when man appears.
Playing about on the thick carpet of the beech leaves of past seasons, with
which the ground under the trees is covered, are hundreds of small brown
manikins. From eight to twelve inches high, they vary in colour from the grey-
green of the beech trunks to the rich brown of the dead leaves. Many of them
have the faces of old men and they wear coats and knee-breeches of a material
which looks like brown beech bark. They have long, pointed feet and some wear
tiny boots.

Their
facial expression is one of intent seriousness and earnest­ness—all about
nothing. At first glance one might think that they were very important people,
but in looking into what corresponds to their minds—the merest instinct as of
young animals or birds—one finds an almost complete blank.

They “live”
inside the etheric double of the trees into which there are accepted entrances.
These are generally at small hollows in the trunk, frequently, though not
always, level with the ground. There are groups which live up in the forks
where the branches leave the main trunk and the etheric currents divide. Though
they can move for a short distance in the air, they seem to prefer to run up
the trunks of the trees. This they do as easily as if they ran upon the flat
ground. They seem to be unaffected by the law of gravity, for they sometimes
maintain a horizontal position with their bodies at right angles to the trunks
as they pass up and down.

Although
their ether-built forms are a homogeneous “solid”, without interior
organisations, a close observation of their movements seems to indicate
something correspond­ing to a muscular system. This is particularly noticeable
when they jump, as they often do for short distances, the last half-yard of
their journey back to their trees being frequently covered by a leap. The leg
with which the take-off is made certainly seems slightly to harden and stiffen,
to relax during flight, and both legs to be braced up for the landing; this is
perfectly smooth, the forward movement continuing at practi­cally the same
speed.

A great
number of these little people have gradually be­come aware of the presence of
our party and, gathered in a semicircular crowd, are observing us from within
the wood. Some are sitting as if transfixed; others walk up and down and appear
to be addressing remarks to their seated fellows as they pass them. Others
again make little exploratory jour­neys in our direction, retiring as our auras
become too much for them. This contact with us seems slightly to quicken all
their faculties, such as they are. Whilst the comparison is not a nice one, the
effect is not unlike that of alcohol upon one unaccustomed to it. Though it
will die down, it will leave some permanent result upon them—one hopes a
quickening of their evolution.

A LANDSCAPE ANGEL

Some
gnomes, as far as my observations reveal, eventually evolve into presiding
geniuses or gods of areas of countryside of increasing dimensions. A beautiful
landscape angel pre­sides over this valley. About twenty feet tall, its
brilliant, many-coloured aura, when extended, reaches out to a distance of at
least one hundred yards on all sides. Occasionally it is further extended to
reach across the valley at its widest, as well as down to the little stream
below.

The
face is noble and beautiful and the eyes are dazzlingly bright. They are
centres of force rather than organs of sight, for they are not used, as are the
human eyes, for vision and the expression of thought and emotion. The colours
of the aura are brilliant, and change constantly as the auric forces flow in
waves and vortices outward from the central form. Now the predominant hue is
deep royal blue, with scarlet and golden yellow sweeping across and through it,
making eddies and waves of colour as they flow outwards in a continuous stream.
Then a background of pale rose appears, with soft nile-green, sky-blue and the
palest of yellow shining through. In addition, streams of force flow upwards
from the head and shoulders, the most brilliant of these arising from a force
centre in the middle of the head, which is the seat of conscious­ness in the
form.

By
moving slowly down the valley with extended aura, the angel is able to touch
with its auric forces every living thing within it, pouring into each a share
of its own stimulating life-force. The hosts of the lesser nature spirits
instinctively respond to the quickening impulses from this angel, and I see the
brownies, the tree spirits and the fairies answering to its touch as its powers
rush out upon them. The elves and the brownies feel a sudden exaltation, the
source of which they cannot fully comprehend, though they recognise it as a
constant feature of their lives. The fairies feel an added joy under the
stimulating influence of the deva's outpoured power.

The
character of this genius
loci is an unusual combina­tion of devic universality of consciousness and
impersonality of outlook with a human comprehension of the needs and the
sufferings of man. I feel sure that every birth and death within the valley
must be known to this deva,
and that any pain which might accompany either is eased as far as its powers
permit. I see memory thought-forms in the aura, which show the angel taking
within its glowing radiance the souls of those who have recently died. I see,
too, that it watches the children at play and the old folk taking their ease.
It is, indeed, the Guardian Angel of the valley, and happy are those who live
within its care. The experiences referred to in the Introduction, which proved
so far-reaching in its results, came to me in this delightful place.

The
presence of this angel gives a certain quality to the atmosphere, a local
characteristic, distinctly noticeable throughout the whole length of the
valley, which has a charm amounting to glamour. It must also affect every human
being who resides here for any length of time, particularly those who are born
and live within the angel’s consciousness and the continual play of its aura.

UNDINES

The
undine belongs to the subtle element of water and, so far as my experience
goes, is never to be found far away from ocean, lake, river, stream and fall.
She is definitely feminine in form, is always unclothed, does not usually have
wings and only rarely wears any kind of adornment. Her form, whether diminutive
or of human stature, is entrancingly beautiful, and her movements are full of
grace. The water­fall is one of her favourite haunts and there she is to be
seen disporting herself, often with a group of water sprites, enjoy­ing to the
full the magnetic forces of the fall.

Apparently
there are periods when the undine retires from the vivid, external life in
which she is most frequently observed and finds a measure of calm and repose
deep down in the still, cool depths of the pools below the falls or in the
quieter reaches of the rivers, as well as in lakes and tarns. This peaceful life
below the waters is in marked contrast to the intense activity and joy she
manifests amid falling water and sunlit spray.

The
three fundamental processes of Nature—absorption, assimilation and
discharge—are expressed fully in the outer life of the undine; indeed, that
life may be said to consist of a continued repetition of those three processes.
Poised amid the spray, or in the centre of the downward rushing torrent, she
gradually absorbs the vital energy from the sunlight and the magnetism from the
fall. As the limit of absorption is reached, in one dazzling flash of light and
colour, she releases the energy with which she has become surcharged. At that
magical moment of release she experiences an ecstasy and exaltation beyond
anything normally possible to mere mortals dwelling in the prison of the flesh.
The expression on the face, and particularly in the eyes, is beautiful beyond
descrip­tion. The countenance expresses rapturous joy and a sense of heightened
vitality and power, whilst the eyes flash with dazzling radiance. The whole
bearing, the perfect form and the brilliant splendour of the auric radiance
combine to pro­duce a vision of enchanting loveliness. This condition is
immediately followed by one of dreamy pleasure, in which
the consciousness is largely withdrawn from the physical world and its etheric counterpart, and centred in the
astral world. The undine etheric body becomes
vague and indistinct for the time being until, she having enjoyed and
assimilated the whole experience, it reappears and the threefold process is
repeated. After a time she returns to the quietude of the watery depths.

UNDINES AT A WATERFALL

These
water fairies resemble graceful young girls, are entirely unclothed and are
probably from eight to twelve inches tall. Their long “hair” streams behind
them and they wear a decoration, resembling a garland of small flowers, around
their foreheads. They play in and out of the fall, flashing through it from
different directions, and calling all the time in wild, unearthly tones. The
voice is infinitely remote and reaches me but faintly, like a shepherd’s call
across some Alpine valley. It is a complex vowel sound, but as yet I cannot
easily name the series of vowels of which it is composed. Undines can either
travel up the fall against the stream or remain motionless within it, but they
generally play and flash through it. When a cloud has passed away from the face
of the sun and the fall again becomes brilliantly sunlit, they appear to
experience an added joy; the tempo of their movements then quickens and their singing
becomes more unrestrained. I can most nearly represent their song by the vowels
e, o, u, a, i, in one long, plaintive tone which ends with an appealing
cadence.

There
are between eight and twelve undines of varying heights playing at this fall,
the tallest being about twelve inches high. Some of them have rosy-coloured
auras, some pale green, and the closer contact I am now obtaining shows me what
extremely beautiful creatures they are, and at the same time how utterly remote
from the human family. Their etheric bodies pass in and out of the great rocks at the side of the fall
without experiencing any obstruction. I am quite unable to attract their attention or to
influence them in any Way. Some of them pass under the water in the
basin at the foot of the fall, and occasionally appear amidst the swirling
froth. The garland, referred to previously, is luminous and apparently forms
part of their auras.

THE PRESIDING SPIRIT OF A FALL

We are
in a bower of bracken and rocks, a veritable fairyland, close to a waterfall in
the Lake District of England. The undine of this fall looks like a tall and
graceful young girl, unclothed and of singular beauty. She differs in some
characteristics from undines previously observed in that she is taller, has a
more highly developed intelligence and auric forces flow out behind her in
wing-like form as well as on every side. She seems to ensoul the rocks, trees,
ferns and mosses, in addition to the waterfall and pools. When first seen, she
sprang out of the solid rock—a marvellously beauti­ful figure—and remained
poised for a moment in the air, after which the etheric form disappeared. She
repeated this process several times but her presence, whether etherically
visible or not, continued to be distinctly felt.

Her
whole form is a soft rose pink. The “hair” is fair and shining, the brow broad,
the features beautifully modelled, the eyes large and luminous and, whilst
their expression has something of the spirit of the wild, their glance is not
un­kindly. The auric wings are small in proportion to the body and would surely
be inadequate for flight, if such had been their purpose; they, too, are of a
glowing roseate hue. Even more striking than the form is the rainbow-like
aureole which surrounds her, as a halo sometimes seems to surround the moon.
This aura is almost spherical in shape and consists of evenly arranged,
concentric spheres of colour, too numer­ous and in far too rapid movement for
detailed description. It would seem to contain all the colours of the spectrum
in their palest shades, with rose, green and blue predominating. Some of the
spheres of colour are outlined with a golden fire and beyond the outer edge a
shimmering radiance of pearly white gives added beauty to the aureole and lovely
form with­in. Over the head a powerful upward flow of forces inter­penetrates
the aura in a fan-shaped radiation. This appears to come from a point in the
middle of the head, where there is a brilliant golden centre, slightly below
the level of the eyes and midway between them. The whole region of the fall is
vibrant with her life.

LAKE SPIRITS

At
different parts of the surface of Lake Thirlmere, which lies beneath us,
numbers of nature spirits of the element of water are to be seen skimming
swiftly over the surface, generally at a height of some six or eight feet, but
sometimes rising much higher. Although they usually remain over the water, they
make occasional flights above the fields. They somewhat resemble large, white
birds flying at great speed. At this distance I cannot make out any distinct
shape, for they assume and dis­card many different, bird-like forms with great
rapidity. There is a permanent suggestion of a wing-like formation of the aura,
and sometimes the likeness of a human face and head.

FAIRIES

In
order to help the reader to visualise clearly the appearance of a fairy when
materialised, I recommend the study of the fairy photographs in Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle’s book The
Coming of the Fairies and E. L. Gardner’s book Fairies[78] . I am personally convinced of the bona fides of
the two girls who took these photographs. I spent some weeks with them and
their family, staying in their home, and became assured of the genuineness of
their clairvoyance, of the pre­sence of fairies exactly like those photographed
in the glen at Cottingley, and of the complete honesty of all parties
concerned.

In
order that such photographs could be taken, the fairies had to be materialised,
presumably by an invisible Adept operator; for only thus could they reflect
actinic light. In this process of densification, the true nature of the fairy form was concealed beneath the
covering of etheric and tenuous, reflective, physical substance. The
photographs show, in consequence, apparently solid, fleshy forms, clothed with
transparent garments. At the astral level, the fairy body is at once seen to be
without solid substance, to consist of streams of flowing energies which might
give, especially at first glance, the illusory appearance of a fixed shape.

The
human mind inevitably tends to give to its percep­tions familiar forms. In
consequence, unless great care is taken, every appearance of solidity will
present itself to the mind-brain of seers, and generally without their being in
the least aware of the process and its effects. The observer must, in consequence, be constantly on guard against this
action of the mind and try to see and record the reality, however un­usual it
may appear. Although I have thus tried, I cannot guarantee the complete absence
of error in my descriptions.

DRYADS

The
mento-emotional counterparts of woods are often filled with entrancing interest
and beauty. The life forces from the plant kingdom and other emanations from
the trees, particularly the larger ones, fill the atmosphere with fine radia­tions
amidst which the tree nature spirits play and angels live and move. The latter
sometimes give the impression of a rather dreamy state of consciousness and of
being themselves expressions of tree life, one with the ensouling spirit of all
the vegetation. They merge into and emerge from the trees, glide about the wood
rather like tall, somewhat shy maidens, slender, graceful and robed in
diaphanous garments of many shades of green. A description may serve as
illustration:

The
tree fairies and higher nature spirits inhabiting a wood near Kendal, in
Westmorland, are truly beautiful. They move about amongst the trees with a
gentle, quiet grace. One of them whom I think has observed us and does not seem
to be afraid, slightly raises her light, filmy garment, through which the rosy
form can faintly be seen. The “hair” is long and tiny lights play like a
garland around her head. So beautiful is her carriage that, were it not for the
complete absence of self-consciousness and the perfect candour shown in the
expression of face and eyes, I should have thought she was posing. All around
are others equally beautiful, each differing in some slight degree from her
fellows, and many of them far less outward-turned in consciousness. Another,
whose back is toward me, has lovely, long, dark “hair”, which hangs well below
the waist. One slender white arm is stretch­ed out before her, a little to the
side, as she glides slowly through the wood. They often seem to be less nature
spirits with separate identities than the souls of the trees, as it were nature
spirit expressions of the evolving tree life; for they blend themselves with
the larger trees, disappearing from view for a time, later to re-emerge and
move about the wood.

Similes
can prove misleading but, when watching the nature spirits and angel
inhabitants of wood and forest, they sometimes appear before one as would
fishes floating out of ocean
depths into clear focus for a few moments and then receding, to be lost as if
merged once more with their watery element. The more advanced tree angels,
those associated with very old and large trees, exhibit a more human clarity of
mental outlook and power. Their gaze can be keen and penetrating as they turn
their attention upon one who enters their realm and is able to see and
communicate with them. Nevertheless, in their case also the impression is
received of an intimate blending of their life and consciousness with that of
the tree which they ensoul, and the evolution of which they assist.

FAIRY GLAMOUR

On one occasion, whilst studying the nature spirit life in
the countryside of Lancashire, a somewhat advanced nature spirit of air
associated with the plant kingdom provided an interesting display of the
glamorous influence which certain kinds of fairies are able to throw over one
who approaches their domain. My record of the experience reads:

A beautiful and highly developed fairy is associated with a
briar hedge on which wild roses are blooming in pro­fusion. She is of an es­pecially
engaging character and in stature is some four feet tall. Lightly robed in a
flowing, transparent, filmy, auric garment, she regards us with the friendliest
of smiles. Her aura is notice­ably vital and looks like a cloud of many soft
yet radiant hues, through which shafts of dazzling light flash and radiate. The
colours include soft, luminous pale rose, pale green, lavender and misty blue, throughout
which shoot the brilliant lances of light. She is in a state of exalted
happiness.

As an experiment, I yielded partially to the enchantment
which she deliberately exercised and to the appealing call with which she
invited, nay even challenged me to forsake the worldof men and share with her,
and others of her kin hovering near, the irrespon­sible gaiety of the Kingdom
of Fairy. For a time, almost unconscious of the body yet always sufficiently
awake in it to return at will, I experienced some measure of the joyful,
care-free radiant happiness which seems to be the permanent condition of a’l
the dwellers in the fairy world. There is danger in too close a contact;1 for it
requires a decided effort to withdraw and take up the burden—as it then
seemed—of physical existence once again.

FAIRIES AND GRASS ELVES

The surface of this field is densely populated by fairies,
brownies and a species of tiny elves associated with grass. The fairies float
through the air, assuming graceful poses and expressing in the highest degree
the qualities of lighthearted­ness and gaiety. A number of them are flitting
about singly, pausing a moment between each flight and bearing in their hands
something which they appear to give to the plants and flowers at each of their
stopping places. They stretch out their hands as if applying vital forces to
the plants, the etheric doubles of which glow in consequence and then move
swiftly away again. They are definitely feminine in appearance, dressed in white or very pale rose
coloured, shimmering material of exceedingly fine texture. This is drawn in at
the waist and shines like mother-of-pearl. The auric wings, when etherically
materialised, are small and oval in shape.

The
elves are from three to six inches in height. They are little, force-built
figures, shining with a green light, and look as if they were clothed with a
single close-fitting grass-green garment.

Their
faces are chubby and child­like. The eyes have a somewhat arch expression and
they are wholly absorbed in- the short, swinging flights with which, alone and
in groups, they move about the field.

Occasionally
the currents of force in their auras seem to join and cross above the head,
giving to some of them the appearance of being horned. They are associated with
the ensouling life in the cells of the grass and other plants and presumably
play some part, however small, in its en­closure in form.

DANCING FAIRIES, COTTINGLEY

A
bright radiance suddenly shines out over the field, some sixty yards away. It
is due to the arrival of a group of fairies under the control of a superior
fairy, who is auto­cratic and definite in her orders, holding unquestioned com­mand.
They spread themselves out into a gradually widen­ing circle around her, and as
they do so a soft glow shines over the grass. Since they swung high over the
tree tops and down into the field, the circle has spread to approximately
twelve feet in width. Each member of this fairy band is connected by a stream of light with the
directing fairy, who is in the centre and slightly above them. These streams
are of different shades of yellow, deepening to orange; they meet in the
centre, merging in her aura, and there is a constant flow backwards and
forwards along them. The form produced by this is something like an inverted
opalescent, glass fruit dish, with the central fairy as the stem and the lines
of light, which flow in graceful, even curves, forming the sides of the bowl.
The impression was received, that the interchanges and the com­plex designs
produced by the dance which followed stimulated, and provided a model for, the
development of forms in the plant kingdom of Nature in the neighbourhood.[79]

LAKE DISTRICT

A group of fairies is gambolling and dancing on a small
plateau on the side of the Wythburn stream. Their bodies, some six inches in
height, are feminine in appearance. Their clothing is chiefly pale blue and
their “wings”, which are similarly coloured and almost oval in shape, are
constantly fluttering as they dance in a circle, hand in hand. Some of them
wear a loose girdle from which is suspended an instru­ment like a horn. All are
draped with a material which serves to conceal the roseate form more completely
than is usual with this type of nature spirit. Their “hair”, which in all cases
is brown, varies from very light to quite dark shades.

They are carrying out a concerted movement which resembles a
country dance and I think it must be their thought and their movements that
cause numbers of small, astro- etheric daisy-like flowers to appear and
disappear near the ground, within and around the circle, sometimes singly and
sometimes as wreaths or chains. They are also discharging into the surrounding atmosphere a
specialised energy in the form of silver sparks, and an entrancingly beautiful
effect is produced by this miniature electrical display flowing through their
auras and the luminous mist in which the whole group is bathed. This mist extends
to a height of probably eight or ten inches above their heads and reaches its
highest point over the centre of the group. The effect of it upon the fairies
is to give them the sense of complete seclusion. In fact, no nature spirit in
the neighbourhood enters the charmed sphere.

The
fairy dancers have now changed their formation and are going through an
evolution of considerable intricacy, making radial “chains” across the circle.
This does not remain in the same place, and when the group moves the secluding
aura moves with it. The dance, which is also a ritual, resembles certain
figures in the Lancers.
The fairies have a decided sense of rhythm, for although their move­ments are
spontaneous and free, they are to some extent keeping time.

As I
watch them, there develops slowly in the centre of the circle a rose-coloured,
heart-shaped form whose pulsa­tions discharge the silvery force, which flows
out in fine lines or striations. The
auric encasement has now increased considerably in size and is not unlike a large,
inverted glass bowl. They seem to have some idea that they are creating or
building a definite shape, for radial divisions, extremely thin and glittering,
have been built, dividing the tenuous form into compartments. Gradually the
group drifts away out of range of my vision, having doubtless carried out some
for­mative function on behalf of the plant kingdom.

A FAIRY QUEEN

We are
surrounded by a group of joyous, dancing fairies. The leader is some two feet
tall, clothed in transparent, flowing draperies, and has a star on her
forehead. She has large, glistening “wings” of delicate shades of pink and
lavender. Her “hair” is light golden brown and streams behind her, merging with
the other flowing forces of her aura. The form is perfectly modelled and rounded,
like that of a young girl, and the right hand holds a wand. Her face is stamped
with a decided impress of power, especially noticeable in the clear blue eyes
which, on occasion, glow as with living fire. Her brow is broad, her features
small and rounded, the tiny ears a poem of physical perfection. The bearing of
head, neck and shoulders is queenly, the whole pose being full of grace. A pale
blue radiance surrounds this beautiful creature, while golden flashes of light
play around and above her head. The lower portion of the aura is shell pink,
irradiated with white light.

She is
aware of our presence, seems to understand my purpose, and has graciously
remained more or less motionless for this description. She holds up her wand,
which is about the length of her forearm and is white and shining, glowing at
the tip with a golden light. I hear faint, far-away music, too ethereal to
capture, such music as might be given forth by diminutive, pendant needles,
delicately tuned and struck with tiny hammers. It is more a series of tinkles
than a con­secutive melody, possibly because I am unable fully to catch the
sound. Perchance it is a far-off echo of divine creative song, the music of the
Voice, thus audible deep down in these etheric regions of the physical world.
Now the whole group rises into the air and vanishes.

SYLPHS

Above
the high moorlands of Lancashire, revelling in the force of the wind, large
numbers of angels and nature spirits of air are to be seen. These sylphs are
rather below human height, but quite human in form, though asexual.

They are disporting themselves wildly in groups of two and
three, travelling at great speed across the sky. There is a certain fierceness
in their joy as they call to each other, their cries sounding like the
whistling of the wind, reminiscent of the call of the Valkyries in Wagner’s
opera of that name.

At first sight they appear to be winged a pair of magnificent
white pinions being attached to the body from the top of the shoulders and
reaching down to the feet. One even seems to detect a regular, feather­like
formation within these “wings”.

This is, however, an illusion produced by the forces flowing
through their auras. Pale shades of rose and azure blue pre­dominate, while a
radiant light of many hues plays continually about their heads. A group of
three, which I am especially watching, presents a most spectacular appearance.
As they wheel and fly across the wide arch of the heavens, brightly coloured
forces flash with extreme rapidity between and all about them, but more
especially in the air above. Occasionally, variegated sheets of colour,
arranged in shining bands, stream from one sylph to the other. These are
chiefly pale blue, rose, green and lavender, through which golden, flame-like
energies continually scintillate. There is a definite order in this colour
communication, the meaning of which is hidden from me, though the chief notes
seem to be fierce exultation and joy-.[80]

The faces of these astro-mental creatures of the air are like
those of strangely beautiful but fierce Amazons, strong, vital, and controlled
despite their apparently reckless abandon.

Their
movement through the air is very rapid, for they appear to travel distances of
ten to fifteen miles in a moment of time.

STORM SYLPHS

While I
watched from the slopes of Helvellyn the approach of dark masses of
storm-cloud, I observed a number of bird­like air spirits travelling in front
of the on-coming clouds. Many of these sylphs are dark and fearsome to look upon,
being slightly suggestive of large, swiftly swooping bats. They are darting
backwards and forwards across the Wyth- burn valley, sometimes following quite
closely the conforma­tion of the hills. They appear to be in a condition of
high excitement and give the impression that they are intensifying the electric
and magnetic conditions characteristic of a storm. Their faces are human and
fully formed, though their expres­sion is distinctly unpleasant. There are
large numbers of them—probably a hundred—including some whiter varieties of
sylph. They utter a weird, shrieking noise and occasion­ally shoot vertically
upwards, passing into the clouds and reappearing above them.

Demoniacal
and terrific beyond description are the be­ings who, high in the aerial
regions, are to be seen exulting in the fury of the storm as the jagged flashes
of the lightning and the deafening roar of the thunder continue hour after hour
through the night. Their appearance faintly resembles that of gigantic bats.
Their bodies are human in shape, yet it is no human spirit which shines through
those large, upward slanting eyes. Their colour is black as night, red and
flame­like, the aura which surrounds them dividing into two huge pinions behind
the central form. The “hair” streams back from the head like tongues of flame.
Thousands of beings, of whom this is but a halting description, revel in the
power of the storm. The clash of the mighty forces produces in them intense
exaltation of consciousness as they soar, hover, dart, wheel and swoop,
apparently intensifying the forces of the storm which in them seem to find
embodiment.

Behind
these and above them, in the very heart of the tempest, is one beside whom the elementáis of storm and disintegration are but
as fluttering bats. There, in the midst of it all, is to be seen one of the
great devas
of the elements, human in form, yet in beauty, majesty and power like unto an
exalted superman. The knowledge of this presence inspired courage and calmness
when, just before a flash of lightning cleaved the heavens with a ribbon of
fire, one of the dark be­ings seemed to swoop down and for a moment hover
threat- ningly, close above us. The baleful eyes, gleaming with frenzy, were
fixed upon the earth below. For a fraction of a second the consciousness behind
those eyes was touched, producing a feeling of vertigo and terror such as had
not been experienced since the days and nights of the first World War. Under
this present test the value of those trials was realised, for automatically the
will overcame the fear and stilled the trembling of the body, caused by the
vision and the deafening crack of thunder by which it was accompanied. Then the
dark storm-fiend sped away, uttering the weird, exulting, un­earthly cry of his
kind, which was continually audible through­out the storm.

In the
midst of all this uproar was a calm, an unshake able poise, a power
acknowledged even by these unruly legions. Beyond a certain limit they could
not go, for they were ever held in check by the will of that Lord of the Storm
who reigned supreme over the elemental forces.

SALAMANDERS

Since,
like their relatively formless element, nature spirits of fire are without a
fixed form, descriptions of them are somewhat difficult to obtain and record. The suggestion
is received of an underlying human shape, limbs and “hair” being built of
streams of rushing fiery energy and only rarely conforming in shape and
position to the human frame.

The face, however, when not veiled by auric flames is
distinctly human in appearance. Quite non-human, however, is its ex­pression,
whilst the upward-slanting eyes seem to be lit with a kind of un­holy delight
in the destructive power of their element. The face is triangu­lar, chin and
ears being pointed, and the head surrounded and outlined by flickering,
orange-red flamelets, through which shoot flashing tongues of fire. Salamanders
vary in height from two or three feet to the great colossi of fire-power who
are the Fire Lords associated with the sun. The description which follows,
although not of Lesser but of Greater Gods, and included here for the sake of
continuity in the study of the four elements and their denizens, is taken from
the Introduction to and Chapter IV of my book, The Angelic
Hosts.[82]

I seemed to be standing with him (the angel teacher referred
to in the Introduction to the present book) submerged in a sea of fire, which
was homogeneous and all-pervasive, yet translucent and transparent. I seemed
also to see the sunflower formation of the fire aspect of the Solar Logos and
His System, as if the angel and I were standing on one of the petals. Though
the distances and dimensions of this fire- world were so colossal as to be
physically incomprehensible and beyond measure, yet at this level they were
well within my
grasp, and the fact that I was standing completely sub­merged in a veritable
cataract of flame as it rushed past and swirled about me, did not prevent me
from seeing the whole of it and its shape, as if I were also looking down upon
it from above. I could trace its source in the sun and see its limits where the
tip of a petal touched the Ring-Pass-Not, or edge, of the System. I was not
able to discover the relation of the physical sun to the fiery sun, but the
relative size and lumino­sity were such that the physical sun would be almost
lost in its fiery counterpart.

Under
the angel’s guidance I moved about within this world of fire but, however great
the distance we covered, the same aspect always presented itself. Whether we
rose or fell in the sea of fire, or crossed a wide area of flame, the System
continued to appear like a sunflower presenting its full face towards us.
Contradictory though this may sound, it will be intelligible to those who are
familiar with the idea of the fourth dimension. At the fire-level, however, the
apparent directions of space, or characteristics revealed by superphysical
cognition, are more than four.

The
appearance of the solar Fire Lords .was glorious and awe-inspiring. Their
stature must be gigantic. Though they did not approach the size of the main
petals themselves, as they stood like an inner corolla round the central fiery
heart of the flower they were large enough to be noticeable from points near
the outer edge of the System. When we approached the centre, they were seen to
be solar colossi, and at one of our resting places a single Fire Lord
completely filled the field of vision. Their forms were definitely human,
though every cell in their bodies resembled a roaring furnace, while flames
leapt and played about them continuously. I was not able to see their faces
with any distinctness and their eyes were shaded from my view—perhaps by a
merciful pro­vidence—but I received the impression of beauty quite as strongly
as I received that of power. Their beauty was not so much that of shape and
form, though their bodies are in­expressibly beautiful. Rather does it belong
to the abstract ideal of beauty which they embody. In the fire-world I per­ceived
beauty in the abstract as a living power, equally potent with fire, and
realised that as there is a fire aspect of God, so is there a beauty aspect,
equal to that of fire in its regenerating, transforming and destructive
effects, equally glorious, equally terrible, equally dangerous to him who gazes
upon its naked power. I begin to appreciate the truth of the saying that no man
may see God and live. Man may climb the heights of the spiritual mountain and
the beauty of God may transfigure him, but unless he is prepared for its
resistless power, he may be utterly destroyed.[83] In the world of fire there seems to be
a highly organised system whereby such dangers are made as remote as possible.
The illimitable power, glory and beauty of the Logos pass through the Angelic
Hierarchy, which serves as a transformer to reduce and temper them so that
forms are built instead of destroyed and dwellers at lower levels are not
blinded by their awful might.

The
Archangels of Fire dwell amidst these forces and direct the play of the fiery,
solar energies according to the will of that supreme Lord of Fire who is the
Source of their existence. They are the Gods of Fire, the Archangels of Flame,
the spiritual regenerators of the System. Living em­bodiments of fire-power,
they are Viceregents of the Supreme Ruler, of whom both Solar System and Lords
of Fire are expressions. All golden and flamelike, they resemble gigantic men
built of flame, in the hand of each a spear and on the head a golden crown of
living fire. Flames shoot forth from them on every side. Every change of
consciousness sends forth tongues of flame, each gesture a flood of fire.

Power
passes through them, transformed lest its naked force should destroy the very
system which, by their mediation, it recreates, regenerates and transforms.
They shield the Solar System lest the fiery energy should blind the eyes of
those to whom it is a source of light, burn those to whom it is a source of
heat, and shatter those to whom it is a source of power. Such in small part are
the Mighty Ones who stand before the fiery throne of the Father of Angels and
of Men. Below them, rank on rank, are ranged the Gods of Fire. Youngest amongst
them are the nature spirits of their elements, the salamanders, Lords of Fire
in-the-becoming.

UNIVERSES are formed and permeated by
an in­finite, creative, vitalising and transforming deific Power which, in
Tibetan, is called Fohat.
This One Life contains within itself infinite potential­ities for the
production of universes, beings and forms. It has two modes of existence, one
passive, one active. During the reign of the passive mode, from the objective
point of view, darkness alone exists. The processes of emergence,
densification, evolution and transformation of universes, beings and forms into
spiritual states occur during the period of activity. These two phases, the
passive and the active, alternate ceaselessly throughout eternity. In the
world’s cosmogonies they are known as Nights and Days.

At the
opening of the creative period, the principle of Ideation inherent in the One
Life becomes manifest as Uni­versal Mind or divine Intelligence. This is not
yet a Being, but a power which awakens from boundless Space at the fructifying
touch or “breath” of the One Life. Within Uni­versal Mind, localised or
focussed areas of divine Thought appear. These are the “nuclei” within the
first “thought cell” of a universe, from which emanate creative impulses. They
are not yet individual Beings, though they contain the potentiality of all
beings.

The
process of emanation continues, the first to emerge being the Sephiras, the
Numerations, the divine Creative Intelligences. These combine under numerical
law to carry out the designs included within divine Ideation. The highest
Archangels, from whom in turn the Angelic Hosts emerge, are included within
such Emanations. Angels are thus Mind-born Emanations from Absolute Life and
the nearer in time and condition to Absoluteness, the greater the beings… Thus
hierarchy is part of the established order of Creation. At the summit of the
ladder of angelic existence are the pri­mordial Sephirothal Intelligences, the
Archangels of the Face, the Mighty Spirits before the Throne. These are the
First Born, the highest, greatest—save for the Primal Embodi­ment of Universal
Mind—manifestations of Creative Intelli­gence and Power in the Universe. They
are everlasting, existing from dawn to eve of Creative Day. At the other end of
the scale of angelic existence are the last born, the minute lives emergent
from the ocean of Life, the Sephiras in miniature, the nature spirits.

THE SONS OF WILL

Within
this hierarchically-ordered race of beings are at least seven main divisions,
classified according to the pre­dominant power manifest in each. The Sephira of
Will gives birth to innumerable, but not unnumbered, “sons”, each in its turn
the parent of a vast progeny, all imbued with the fire of the omnipotent Will.
Their attribute is power and they are agents for the manifested will of that
summation of the Sephiras which is the Logos of the Universe. Invested

with cosmic power, robed in white
radiance, these parent “Morning Stars” shine more brightly than a thousand
suns. They are creators in that the creative ray, the fohatic “dart”,
the arrow of Eros, is by them as “bowmen” directed to its mark, which in the
beginning is that region of space in which the universe is to appear. Throughout
its formation and growth they continue to direct the fiery ray which, “bursting”
into innumerable, whirling shafts of force brings atoms into being. Primordial
atoms are of one kind alone. They form the upper layer of each of the seven
degrees of density of matter of which the seven worlds or planes are formed.
Different atomic combinations form different substances or chemical elements in
both the noumenal and phenomenal aspects of the universe. The atom-forming
power is Fohat. The
directors of the process are the Sephira of Will and its Emanations.

In full
self-consciousness, the Will-Archangels wield this mighty power. In diminishing
degrees, angels of will perform their parts. Pure instinct guides the nature
spirits in their functions as servants of the One Will. These are the gnomes,
the elementalis of earth.

THE SONS OF WISDOM

The
Sephira of Wisdom and its “sons” embody and make manifest the principles of
cohesion, balance, harmony, inherent in Fohat and all that it creates. They also
direct the vitalising currents of solar energy by which atomic com­binations,
molecules, substances and forms are given co-ordi­nation and life. They are
called Sons of Wisdom, because Intelligences which blend and harmonise are ever
wise. They consciously maintain the balanced equipoise of Nature’s several and
diverse parts. Each enfolds vast regions within its aura and serves as both
vehicle and container for outrush- ing and returning fohatic
shafts of power.

These
activities of the Sons of Wisdom and other Sephiras were portrayed in the
language of the Mysteries as creative intercourse, lawful or unlawful, between
Gods and Goddesses and as the progeny supposedly produced. Sephirothal func­tions
and the resulting natural phenomena were thus explained by allegory and fable
which, revealing the sacred truths to the sanctified, concealed them from the
profane. For such has ever been the method of the Mysteries.

Angels
of Wisdom serve in regions of lesser dimensions and deeper density. Nature
spirits of water as a subtle ele­ment, the great container and conductor in
Nature, instinctively play their parts in the outermost regions and densest
states of substance in the universe.

THE SONS OF INTELLIGENCE

The
Thought that slept as a potency throughout creative Night awoke at Dawn to find
embodiment in the most tenuous of all substance, pre-atomic Space. When,
thereafter, Fohat formed
the first atoms, Mind directed their formation. When atoms blended into denser
substance, Mind ordered the pat­tern of their cohesion. When elements appeared,
it was Mind that conceived them. When forms followed, Mind fashioned them
according to a transcendental “dream” from which it had awakened at Dawn. Mind
is the Artist-Crafts­-man of the universe.

The
Sephira of Mind, through and from itself, brought forth innumerable progeny,
the Angelic Hosts of Mind from which, in their turn, came forth sylphs and
nature spirits, fairies and all the aerial hosts. These serve the Universal
Mind. These fashion Nature’s outer garb. These conceive and, plane by plane,
mentally project the Archetypes, until the densest world is reached and earthly
forms appear.

The
Universal Mind is omnipresent. With the Egyptians, the God Tehuti, Sephira of
Thought and Law, was its symbol and embodiment, preceding in time yet standing
behind the creative Logos, ram-headed Amen Ra. Upon his palette he both
calculates and records the cosmic cycles and the Nights and Days of Ra. Even Fohat is
obedient to the Sephira of Thought, the Lord of Number and of Law,

GODS AND GODDESSES

Each
Sephira is assisted by its twin. Every Archangel has its counterpart which is
the animate “shadow” of itself, its duplicate. All Gods thus have Goddess
consorts who are spiritual embodiments and expressions of their powers, just as
the Gods themselves are in their turn embodied Universal Power in one or more
of its many aspects. The last three of the seven Sephiras are the reflections
of the first three, their Goddesses, though each is a mighty individual
Intelligence which, in this and preceding universes, has evolved to its present
high degree.

Each of
the seven Sephiras is an Official, appointed to an office in the government of
the universe. Each is a specialist in one group of creative activities, an
expert in creative pro­cesses, with special powers in one of the seven “fields”.

Sephirothal
Intelligences are great beyond the compre­hension of man. Will and thought are
virtually omnipotent in them. By means of these two agencies they establish and
maintain throughout creative Day those regions within the circumscribed field
at which sun and planets will later be built. Throughout the periods of
densification from pure Spirit-Matter to physical sun and globes, and the
subsequent progressive etherealisation back to the original pure state, the
concentration by which these phenomena are produced is perfectly sustained.
Perpetually creating according to numerical law by the action of unified
will-thought, the Sephiras are the motionless Lords whose concentration is
unbroken and unwavering throughout the whole period of creative activity.

THE first three Sephiras;
those of Will, Wisdom and Intelligence, are the primaries. The last three are
their secondaries. The fourth represents the link­ing principle between these
two groups. The power of the three primaries and the “responses” of the three
secondaries all pass through the intermediate fourth Sephira. The interplay
between such mighty Powers, the interflow between the three spiritual and three
material Sephiras, sets up a stress in the interspace. Lines of force are
formed in primordial substance, and it is these which provide the major and
minor Archetypes, the living geometrical models upon which all forms are
founded.

The
fourth Sephira is therefore an Official of supreme significance. Amid the
creative stress it must maintain the predetermined “forms”, the parent and the
offspring Arche­types. Maintenance of rhythm and of pre-chosen frequencies of
oscillation in the interplay between the apparently opposing primaries and
secondaries, are the preoccupation of the fourth Sephira and its subordinates.
All the powers, attributes, offices and activities of the six Sephiras must be
possessed and mastered by the fourth, which has to contain and direct them
according to numerical Law. The mind of man per­ceives products of these
labours of the fourth Sephira as the order and the beauty of the universe.

In
concentric spheres from the innermost to the outer­most, or from the topmost
rung of the sephirothal ladder to its lowest, the fashioners of forms labour in
the workshop- studio, which is the objective universe. Their tool is creative
fire; their medium creatively impregnated substance. The Source of the power
and the genius with which they work is creative Intelligence, active also in
both tool and medium. From the centre to the arm-tips of the fiery, six-armed
cross[84]formed
of the six paths followed by the forthgoing and return­ing creative energy, the
fourth Sephira and its Emanations are omnipresent and ceaselessly at work.

The
Contemplative Lord itself stands at the centre whence all arms radiate, all
force arises. From it all force flashes and to it all force returns. Archangels
and angels have their stations along the arms at increasing distances from the
naked power. Nature spirits, like dancing motes within a beam, dwell at the
outer ends. Yet all are one. Archangels, angels and nature spirits are but
emanations and embodiments of the One Life within their own sephirothal Source.
Being thus at one, all are moved solely by impulses arising in that Source and
are obedient to a single sephirothal thought and will.

THE SEPHIRA OF MIND-FORMS

The
fifth Sephira and all its Hosts are the first conceivers of evolving forms.
Through the mind of this mighty One, the divine Ideations pass from the
archetypal to the concrete state. Time, the deceiver, confines the limitless
and the time­less within thiat prison-house, the “walls” of which are built of
thousands of centuries. Past, present and future imprison therein that divine
Thought which for the third Sephira is durational, for the second is
everlasting and for the first is eternal. With one foot, as it were, in time
and one in timelessness, the fourth Sephira links the form and the form­less
states, makes possible the transference of divine Ideation from the
non-evolving Archetype into myriads of evolving forms. At first these local,
temporal forms are faulty, crude and imperfect. At last they are faultless,
finished, flawless.

The
processes of perfecting forms are directed by the fifth Sephira, beneath whom,
rank upon rank, labour Arch­angels, angels and nature spirits. These beings do
not create the forms. Divine Ideation from within the One Life, through the
third Sephira, gives birth to parental Archetypes. These ‘‘breathe” upon the
virgin waters of lower space and “speak” the archetypal “Word”. Space conceives
and slowly brings forth the separate forms, the potentiality of which resides
forever in divine Thought.

These
first, time-prisoned forms, life-filled and develop­ing, appearing as if
spontaneously in the mind-stuff of the universe, are immediately subjected to
two processes by the fifth Sephira and its Hosts. Their shape is improved and,
in successive cycles, they are projected into the astral and physi­cal regions
where the sixth and seventh Sephiras preside. There they are perfected and
hardened, polished and densified by the combined activities of the last three
Sephiras and their Hosts. They first appear as thought-forms, imperfect, ill- formed.
Life-filled and with dawning sentiency, they are clothed in denser substance.
Fully hardened or manifest as densest physical, like plaster models cast in
bronze, their deepest density is in course of time attained. Thus are born
planets. Ultimately, they die and disintegrate; but their life and ideal forms
are preserved and projected anew into their successors.

The
sephirothal labours do not cease. The perfection implicit within the imperfect
dominates the resistant sub­stance. Matter becomes more malleable, thought more
formative, life more sentient, as forms improve. Eventually thought becomes
omnipotent. The sevenfold sephirothal “Word” is then “made flesh” and finally
in full perfection “dwells among us”, or is made materially manifest.

The
fifth Sephira is thus responsible for the mental re­production in form of
abstract creative Ideation, which has passed.Through he archetypal stage under
the third Sephira. This all-inclusive, single thought-form, which divides into myriads
of separate forms, must be mentally maintained throughout Manvantara.
No break in the concentration of the will-thought of the fifth Sephira must mar
the projection and evolution to perfection of the universe of concrete forms.

Divine
thought is embodied in this mighty One. He is Lord of Mind, the embodiment of
the directive Intelligence of the “formal” universe. In one sense he is the
universe of thought, the One Mind, and of him all other minds are part, being
contained within him and being expressions of himself. The power of this Being
is that of Universal Will expressed as thought, or Fohat-Atma-Manas.[85]

THE ELEMENT OF FIRE

The
third Sephira is the innermost Soul of the fifth, which is its manifested
Power. Fire is their element. The third Sephira is as white heat, the fifth is
as its flame-like radiation. Actually there is neither heat nor flame above the
physical world. Hot masses and rising flames, caused physically by combustion
of certain elements, have no superphysical counterparts. There is no
superphysical burning of substance with consequent change of form. Physical
fire and flame are the denser counterparts of a subtle universal element, the
intelligence, power and activity of which are those of the third and fifth
Sephiras. This is a mystery and more may not here be said, except that physical
flame is a temporary and local manifestation of the deific Presence, and more
particularly of the third and fifth Aspects and Emanations of Deity. Each
divine Aspect is outwardly manifest as a Being, an Intelligence whose full
nature is beyond human comprehension, save in states of lofty contemplation
when divine Immanence is per­ceived and the divine Transcendence intuitively
discerned.

Fire on
earth, then, is an expression of divine Intelligence, a localised manifestation
of Universal Mind: it is that one of the four modes of manifestation on the
physical plane which constitutes the electro-magnetic “soul” of physical
substance. The somewhat conical, tongue-like shape of a flame is sym­bolical of
this third Aspect of Deity, for in vertical section it is triangular. The
triangle is the archetypal “form” of the fire element, and therefore of the
third Sephira.

The
fifth Sephira transfers the Fire Aspect of Deity to the formal world, where in
man it becomes manifest mentally as thought-power, emotionally as desire and
physically as heat. In all the varied expressions of the Fire Aspect in Nature
and in man, the fifth Sephira is intimately involved as the ensouling Being who
is the Mind of Nature.

The
process of physical combustion which produces the impressions of fire, flame
and heat upon the senses and mind of man excites into hyper-activity the
superphysical noumenon of fire, the Fire Aspect of Deity preponderant in the
fifth Sephira. This ensouling fire-principle of Nature has its major embodiment
in that Being and in his brother, the third Sephira, who is the noumenon of the
noumenon, the soul of the soul, of physical fire.

The
fifth Sephira, in its turn, is composed of and mani­fested as innumerable
Fire-Gods, Archangels, angels and nature spirits. This vast Host is in
perpetual creative activity, continually occupied in the tranference of the fohatic fire,
the cosmic creative fire-force, from its primal source throughout the five
planes of present manifestation.

The
fire of Fohat
is the agent whereby “virgin” matter is made responsive to and reproductive of
the archetypal pro­ducts of divine Ideation. Cosmic fire, which is no burning
flame or heat but a form of electrical energy, is the impreg­nating agency by
the action of which root Substance produces universes and all which they
contain. The nature and the shape of those products are decided by a
combination of numerical law and divine Thought. Cosmic fire and cosmic mind
are therefore intimately related throughout Manvantara. No form can come into
phenomenal existence without the combined action of both.

At the
physical level, incandescence and flame constitute a release, and therefore an
expression, of the creative fire- mind. The degree of the release is dependent
upon the amount of material in which incandescence is physically pro­duced. The
extent of the expression of fohatic fire, and of the fifth and third Sephiras and their
Hosts, is also governed by the size of the fire and the degree of
incandescence.

When a
fire is kindled, or a match struck, and inflam­mable substance reduced to
ashes, a release occurs on the physical plane of superphysically manifested
creative fire. It is this release which acts as an excitant to nature spirits
of fire, under which they play and revel exultantly in the physical
manifestation of their element.

In
order that conjoined cosmic fire and mind may create physical forms, the four
other elements of earth, water, air and ether as subtle elements and potencies
must also be present, thus completing the five elements essential to the
production of natural forms. In physical fire, the subtle element of fire
preponderates excessively and is almost exclu­sively active. Destruction of
form, and not construction, is the inevitable result.

THE SIXTH SEPHIRA

THE conjoined Power and Life of the
Solar System, manifested as the second Sephira, the solar Lord of Wisdom and
all its “sons”, find expression as the Life Principle of the material worlds.
The One Life of Nature, discrete though it may appear when con­ceived and
viewed from below, is a co-ordinated vehicle for an Intelligence, which is the
sixth Sephira. Just as the second Sephira directs the vitalising currents of
solar energy at higher levels, so the sixth serves as an expression of the One
Life at lower levels including the physical world.

The
ocean of the One Life has its shores, which are the physical universe, against
which its waves beat continuously in rhythmic pulse. As a beach becomes
saturated more and more fully with the rising tides, so physical matter is
saturated increasingly with the vitalising fluid, which is the One Life.
Evolution for physical substance implies an increase in its vital content, a
fuller saturation with the One Life, which is continually conveyed into it by
the second and sixth Sephiras.

The
first created, solid physical substance is relatively lifeless. In the
beginning its life-content is very low. As evolution proceeds, matter gradually
becomes increasingly vitalised; component atoms convey and contain greater proportions
of Spirit-Life. They then combine more readily into forms which, in their turn,
become proportionately more responsive to thought. Metaphorically, as the tide rises,
the degree of saturation increases. High watermark represents the fullest
physical manifestation attained in any creative cycle by Spirit-Life and its
embodiments, the first, second and sixth Sephiras. Saturation point is reached
when phy­sical substance becomes most responsive to thought and most easily
moulded by it. Thereafter, the One Mind, as third and fifth Sephiras, finds in
every kind of physical substance a highly plastic medium in which to fashion
the concepts and products of divine Ideation. All Nature then displays the most
perfect adaptation to universal Thought, whether mani­fested in Sephirothal
Hosts or individualised as man.

Such,
in part, is the “work” of the sixth Sephira and its component Hosts, from
Archangels of the solar, vital fluid to the nature spirit inhabitants and
embodiments of the subtle element of water. In simplest terms, these beings
serve as conductors of Fohat, throughout the physical universe, the “life-blood” of
Mother Nature by which she is herself sustained and by which she nourishes her
children.

UNDINES AND SYLPHS—EMANATIONS
OF THE SIXTH SEPHIRA

Innumerable
“arteries” and “veins” convey throughout the universe from sun to planets and
from planets back to sun the vital electricity, which is its life-blood. Thus
the sun is the “heart”, the universe the “body”. Archangels are interplanetary “transformers”
and “transmitters”. Angels are planetary “receivers” and “transmitters”, and
nature spirits are the last superphysical recipients of the charge. This they
contain as long as they can and then release or dis­charge it into the ethenc
counterpart of Nature. From there, the physical “beach” or molecular “sands” absorb
it and all Nature is thus vitalised, all substance rendered malle­able. The
Eternal Oblation is fulfilled.

Intense
pleasure is felt by undines and sylphs as they perform their function of
recipients and dischargers of solar life.[86] They become filled with ecstasy as they
carry out to the limit of their capacity the three functions of absorption of
life-force, its retention and compression, and its discharge into their
immediate surroundings. This is their life, this their “work”, which, as with
all nature spirits, is for them but continuous play and, though they do not
know it, evolu­tionary progress is the result. To increase their own joy in
this participation in Nature’s processes, they try continually to increase
their capacity to absorb and retain the vital charge as long as possible. The
resultant heightened compression produces an increasingly more powerful, and
therefore more joy-producing, discharge.

Evolutionary
stature for all the Sephirothal Hosts is mea­sured by their capacity to absorb,
contain and compress. As they are thus engaged from dawn to eve of Manvantara,
their ability to exercise these three functions steadily increases. This, for
them, is the way of evolutionary progression, which is marked by an increase
both in bodily stature and extension of aura.

The
nature spirit, for example, when first it emanates from its parent-angel, may
measure but an inch or two in the vertical and horizontal diameters of its
aura. The continuing practice throughout vast ages of the absorption, retention
and discharge of the electric life of the sun steadily increases the size of
both the spherical aura and the once minute, but ever lovely, form within.

THE VISIBLE UNIVERSE

The seventh Sephira is the Lord of
all Nature, which is its physical garment. It is immanent throughout this
physical vesture, every atom being created and sustained by the power of which
both Sephira and universe are the embodiment and manifestation.

Fohat is the creator. Mind is the designer. Matter is the medium in which
creative Spirit fashions the external universe. Not one form in Nature, from
atom to similarly spinning planet, comes into existence save as an outcome of
the creative Activity of the fire of Fohat, the fashioning mind of Spirit,
and the receptive, responsive and productive attri­butes of matter. For this is
the eternal, creative Trinity. This is God, the Father, Son and Mother.

The
universe is sevenfold. So also must be and are both the active potency and the
action of the triple God. Through the agency of the seven Emanations, each the
product of a combination of the three supernal Aspects, the Logos “creates” the
seven densities which primordial Substance[87] assumes under fohatic action and influence. The
seventh of these Powers, the seventh Sephira, is a mighty Representative of the
Logos at the level of density of the element of earth, and is manifested to the
senses of man as atom-built, physical sub­stance. Co-ordination is the
predominant power of this Sephira, and the construction and maintenance of
physical forms throughout their appropriate time-cycles are its pre­ponderant
activity. This task of construction and preser­vation is fulfilled from within
the life-currents of atoms and the forms into which they are built. For therein
the deific Presence is enshrined.

The
Immanence of God, His indwelling Presence through­out physical Nature, is made
manifest as the power, the life and the consciousness of the seventh Sephira.
The Tran­scendence of God is expressed by the remaining Six, each of whom is as
the transcendent Logos of the plane immediately below it. Beyond the Seven are
Three who constitute the supernal Trinity of the universe. Immanent within these Three,
and again transcendent beyond, is that incompre­hensible One Alone, which is
the first Emanation from the Absolute. Within THAT reside all potencies. From THAT
emanate all ideation, power and life. By THAT all worlds are created and
sustained. To THAT, in due time according to numerical law, all return.

This
One Alone is the Supreme Transcendence, the Primordial Mover “above the surface”
of—actually within— pre-cosmic Space. The first “movement” sets going all
creative processes, which continue throughout Manvantara, just as a pendulum set
swinging by a single impulse continues to swing. But the measure of the
oscillation and the duration of its continuance depend upon the strength of the
initial impulse and the decrees of numerical law. As that agent which imparts
to the pendulum that first swing no longer acts, so THAT which imparts to
pre-cosmic Substance the
first creative impulse no longer acts directly upon the resultant
Cosmos. THAT remains, transcendent and alone. Yet from THAT all creation springs; by
THAT all creation is moved and lives; in THAT all is contained; to THAT all
returns; for, in terms of the outward Cosmos, THAT is infinite and eternal.

The
seventh Sephira and its Hosts are the outermost recipients and manifestors of
the creative impulse imparted by the One Alone. They represent the extreme
limit of the pendulum’s swing. Divine Ideation is the core of the being of the
seventh Sephira, which is conjoined Spirit-Mind in­carnate. According to the
archetypal image existent within divine Thought, the seventh Sephira fashions
physical Nature. In this process the whole tenfold Sephiroth is involved. All
Sephiras converge and are synthesised in the seventh and its form-producing
activity. The One Alone, the Sacred Nine and Universal Law contrive to produce that
ultimate wonder of the Cosmos which is physically fashioned divine Ideation,
the material universe. The seventh Sephira, who is the tenth if the supernal
Three be included, is a synthesis of all, as also is its outer garb, the
natural world; for the conjoined whole of the Powers is contained within atom,
molecule and form of the physical plane.

THE ARCHETYPE

Nature’s
varied forms have their origin in Universal Mind, which is the third expression
of the manifested One, as Will and Life are the first and second. The idea of
every form arises spontaneously within Universal Mind, as a mani­festation
under numerical law of that portion of Cosmic Ideation which is to be expressed
within a single universe. In origin and “seed”, all forms are one. That one
form may be mentally—and therefore imperfectly and incompletely— conceived as a
point within a sphere. The point is the germ. The sphere is the egg. From these
two, creative centre and circumscribed region, the universe evolves.

Multiplicity
of form arises from the single germ or Arche­type, as creative Will and Life
move outwards from the centre into the field. The potentialities within the
germ then begin to become actualities. The latent combinations and permu­tations
of the several components of the germ, each expressive of universal Ideation,
become operative influences, as divine Thought seeks external expression as
form.

The “still”
thought of the universe is in essence single; its active thought is multiple.
The timeless, changeless Arche­type, whilst containing the potentiality of all
forms, is itself a single “creation” or projection from divine Ideation. As its
vibrating energies, or “chords”, impinge upon the external, enclosing matter,
mental forms arise therein. These forms are gradually densified and at the same
time diversified. At the physical level the extreme of both density and
diversity is attained. Nature there displays her greatest variety as thought
after thought of the divine Mind becomes manifest. Thus the One becomes the
many, which arise from within the One.

THE FAIRY BUILDERS OF FORM

The
ultimate fashioners of form are the nature spirits of the element of
earth—gnome and brownie—assisted by those of air—fairy and sylph. Unconsciously
they aid the designer, Universal Thought, by playing in the fields of force set
up by the impact of creative energy as “sound” upon responsive, fructified
matter. This establishment of fields of force of varied geometrical designs
occurs, not in dense substance, but in the ether which is both mould and matrix
of all forms, Mother Nature’s womb. Pleasure is gained by nature spirits in
moving, dancing and flying along the lines of force within the fields. This
fairy motion accentuates these lines in the ether, as does a pencil line drawn
again and again on paper.

All
elements meet at the physical level. All nature spirits participate through
play and movement along the lines of force, save those of fire who are
associated with the currents of creative energy by which the fields of force
are set up. Gnome and brownie, fairy and sylph, unconsciously play their part
in the slow production of Nature’s forms in etheric and solid matter. The
aerial hosts begin the work. Gnomes, brownies and the like within the earth
ultimately fashion the purely solid, densest forms.

The
secret of these workers in mineral, metal, jewel and organic forms, is Nature’s
own and may not be revealed to man, it is said, outside her Sanctuaries, and
there only to those who first have willingly lent themselves to the Goddess as
co-workers in her “quarries” without thought or hope of reward. The apprentice
master-builder learns very gradually, and by experiment, these thaumaturgic
secrets of the creation of forms by
Will-Thought in co-operation with the Sephirothal Hosts. They can no more be conveyed
in words alone than can the secrets of success in any art. They must be
discovered, or arise within the craftsman’s mind as he experiments.

The
little workmen are everywhere and ceaselessly at work. No smallest form of any
kind appears unassociated with a builder of form, in none of whom can a thought
of self arise. Individuality is not born in them. Inwardly moved by the action
within them of Universal Thought, which is their Mother Source, and of their
sephirothal senior, their life is one of thought-free, spontaneous play within
and with the currents of creative energy flowing through them and their subtle
element.

THE Kabbalah has been variously
described as an unwritten or oral tradition, as the esoteric doctrine of the
Jewish religion and as the hidden wisdom or theosophy of the Hebrew Rabbis of
the Middle Ages, who obtained it from the older secret doctrines con­cerning
divine truths and cosmogony.

The Hebrew word is derived from the root QBL, “to
receive”. Included in the meaning of the word, therefore, is the practice of
transmitting esoteric knowledge by word of mouth. On examination, the Kabbalah
proves to be a system of theosophy which claims to be of celestial origin and
to have reached the early Hebrew patriarchs through the ministry of the angels.
King David and King Solomon are said to have been initiated into the Kabbalah,
and RabbiSimeon
Ben Jochai daringly took the step of writing a portion of the teachings down at
the time of the destruction of the second Temple. His son, Rabbi Eleazar, his
secretary andhis
disciples gathered together his treatises and from them composed the Zohar,
meaning “Splendour”, which is the literary source of Kabbalism.

THE TEN ORDERS OF ANGELS

The Angelic Hosts occupy an important place in
the cosmogonical scheme of the Kabbalah. Ten Orders are associated with the ten
Sephiras, which constitute the kabbalistic Tree of Life.
They are regarded as Emanations of Deity, each Sephira representing a number, a
group of exalted ideas, titles and attributes, and a hierarchy of spiritual
beings outside of humanity. Each Sephira has a fourfold nature according to its
association with each of the four worlds of the Kabbalist. These are: “Atziluth”,
the Archetypal World, or World of Emanations, the Divine World; “Briah”, the
World of Creation, also called Khorsis, the World of Thrones; “Yetzirah”, the
World of Formation and of Angels; “Assiah”, the World of Action, the World of
Matter.

In Atziluth, the Sephiras manifest through ten
different aspects represented by the ten holy names of God in the Hebrew
Scriptures. In Briah, the Sephiras manifest through the ten Archangels. In
Yetzirah, they manifest through the Choirs or Hosts of the Angels. In Assiah, and
especially on the physical plane, they are associated with the physical planets
and the subtle elements of which they are said to be com­posed. By
correspondence they are also associated with the chakras
in the etheric double of man and their related glandular and nerve centres.

The Sephiras are also depicted as circles. As
Proclus says: “Before the mathematical numbers, there are the self-
moving numbers; before the figures apparent, the vital
figures, and

before producing the material worlds which move
in a circle, the Creative Power produced the invisible
circles.” [88]
At the head of each hierarchy of spiritual Intelligences is a named Archangel,
under whom are gradations of angels who perform significant functions in the
emanation, formation, preservation and transformation of a universe.

The Christian religion, which contains much
kabbalistic thought, teaches that there are nine Orders of angels called,
severally, Angels and Archangels, Thrones, Dominations, Principalities,
Virtues, Powers, Cherubim and Seraphim.Certain qualities and activities are
assigned to each of these Orders. Angels and Archangels are sent as messengers
in matters of high importance, as were Gabriel and Raphael. Thrones contemplate
the glory and equity of the divine judg­ments and teach men to rule with
justice. Dominations are supposed to regulate the activities and duties of the
angels. Principalities preside over peoples and provinces and serve as angelic
rulers of the nations of the world. Virtues have the gift of working miracles.
Powers are a check on evil spirits. Cherubim excel in the splendour of
knowledge and so en­lighten mankind with wisdom; and the Seraphim, being most
ardent in divine love, inspire mankind with that quality. In nearly all the
Biblical accounts of men’s visions of God, He is described as transcendent in
glory and surrounded by countless multitudes of His angels.

Kabbalism, whilst naming them differently, gives
to these beings their due place and certain additional functions. In common
with other cosmogonies, it postulates the existence of an Absolute as the basis
of everything. This is regarded as negative existence or no-thing and has been
described as an illimitable abyss of glory. This negative existence' has three
veils which are called AIN, meaning
the negatively existent, AIN SOPH, the
limitless without form, being or likeness with anything else, and AIN SOPH AUR, the limitless light which
concentrates into the first and highest Sephira of the Sephi- rothal Tree
called Kether, the Crown. The nine [89]
letters AIN SOPH AUR are
said to shadow forth the nine Sephiras as hidden ideas or seed-thoughts which,
when manifestation begins, are represented by archangelic Beings or Gods. In
the des­cription of this process, the Limitless Ocean of Light is said to
concentrate a centre, which is the first Sephira, the Crown, which in turn
gives birth to the nine others, the last or tenth being called Malkuth, the
Kingdom, meaning “all Nature jnanifcsted”. Together, the ten Sephiras represent
the ema­nation and development of the powers and attributes of Deity. Each
number is an outward symbol for inner creative forces and processes and their
personifications as Archangels or guilders of the universe. Some of these are
male and some female, or rather of positive and negative potencies, Deity hav­ing
conformed Itself thus in order that It could create. Man, being made in the
image of Deity, is male and female also.

KETHER

The first Sephira is Number One, the Monad of Pytha­goras.
As already stated, this Sephira is called Kether, the Crown, and also the
Ancient of the Ancient Ones, the Ancient of Days, the Primordial Point, the
White Head, the Inscrutable Height and the Vast Countenance or Macroposopus. In
its highest and abstract aspect it is in association with Adam Kadmon (the
Heavenly Man)—a collective name—who is a synthesis of the whole Sephirothal
Tree, the Archetype of all creation and all humanity, and the first Adam of
Genesis. He is also called Seir Anpin,
“Son of the Concealed Father”, and so in this highest aspect must be regarded
as the Logos, the Christos of the Fourth Gospel.

Since one cannot create alone, Kether is said to
vibrate across the field of manifestation or to reflect itself in matter to
produce a feminine or dyad, from which in turn all creation and all beings
emanate, having been hitherto contained within Kether. The Archangel Head of
the associated hierarchy of angels is severally named Metatron, Prince of Faces
or “beside (or beyond) the Throne”, Angel of the Presence, World Prince, El
Shaddai, the Omnipotent and Almighty One, the Messenger and Shekinah, also
associated with the cloud of glory which rested on the Mercy Seat upon the Ark
of the Covenant,[90]
within the Holy of Holies. Shekinah is also regarded as identical with AIR SOPH
AUR, the veil of AIR AUR,
pre-cosmic Substance or virgin Space, the Mulaprakriti or Parabrahmicroot
of Hinduism.

The Order of angels is the Chaioth Ha-Qadesh, “Holy
Living Creatures”. They are associated with the Kerubim,[91]
are pictured as sphinxes and regarded as Governors of the four elements in
their highest sublimation. They would seem to correspond to the Lipika,the
Celestial Recorders or “Scribes”, the Agents of Karmaof
Hinduism. The hierarchy is concerned with the initiation of the whirling
motions by means of which primordial atoms or “holes in space” are formed,
presumably using the force which in Tibetan is called Fohat,the
essence of cosmic electricity, the ever-present elec­trical energy and
ceaseless formative and destructive power in the universe, the universal
propelling, vital force, the primum mobile,whose
symbol is the svastika.In
Kether are thus said to be the “beginnings of the whirls”, the first stirrings
of the divine creative Essence. One of the chief duties of the mem­bers of this
Angelic Hierarchy is to receive this Essence in Kether and carry it to the
succeeding hierarchy of the Auphanim or “Wheels”, associated with the second
Sephira.

CHOKMAH

Kether produces the other nine Sephiras, the
second being Chokmah, Wisdom, a masculine active potency or Father reflected
from Kether. Chokmah is the second Adam, from whom is produced Eve, and is
associated with Micro- posopus, the Lesser Countenance. The Archangel Head of
the Angelic Hierarchy is Ratziel, “the Herald of Deity”, “the Delight of God”.
The Order of angels is the Auphanim or “Wheels”, so-called in reference to the
vortex, whirlwind or whirlpool-producing action of the primum mobile.From
this Order are said to be drawn the Angels of the Planets, who are described in
the First Chapter of Ezekiel.
The planetary correspondence is with the Zodiac and, in some systems, Uranus.

BINAH

The third Sephira is a feminine, passive potency
called Binah, Intelligence, the Understanding, co-equal and con­temporaneous
with Chokmah, to whom she is as Eve, the Mother Supernal. Binah is also called
Ama, Eternal, com­bined with Ab, Father, for the maintenance of the universe in
order. She is sometimes called the Great Sea and, kabbali- stically, these two
Powers weave the web of the universe. The Archangel Head is Tzaphqiel, “He who
beholds God”, or “Contemplation of God”. The Order of angels is the Arelim, “the
Mighty Ones”, the Thrones of Christian angel- ology. The number Two as a
principle is like two straight lines which can never enclose a space, and is
therefore power- less till number Three forms a primary triangle. This Binah
does, and makes evident the supernal, but not the material, active Trinity. This
upper Triad remains in the Archetypal World, whilst the seven Sephiras which
follow create, sustain and transform the manifested, material World. The planet
associated with Binah is Saturn.

The union of Chokmah and Binah, Wisdom and Under­standing,
produces Supernal Knowledge, called Daath in Kabbalism. Daath itself is not
regarded as a Sephira, but is included in some diagrams of the Sephirothal
Tree, in which it is placed between Chokmah and Binah.

CHESED

An active dyad now exists in Chokmah and Binah. Their
union produced Chesed, a masculine or active potency. Chesed is Mercy or Love
and is also called Gedulah, Greatness or Magnificence. The Archangel Head is
Tzadqiel, “Justice of God”, “Righteousness of God”. The Order of angels is the
Chasmalim or “Scintillating Flames”, or “Brilliant Ones”. They are the
Dominations of Christian angelology and are regarded as angels of light. The
planet is Jupiter.

GEBURAH

From Four or Chesed emanated the feminine,
passive, fifth potency, Geburah, Severity, Strength, Fortitude, Justice. This
Sephira is also called Pachad, Fear. The Archangel Head is Khamael, “the Right
Hand of God”, and is some­times called the Punishing Angel. The Order of angels
is the Seraphim, known in Christian angelology as Powers. They are thus
described in Isaiah VI. 1-3:

“I saw also the Lord sitting upon a
throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

“Above it stood the seraphims: each
one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered
his feet, and with twain he did fly.

“And one cried unto another, and
said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his
glory.”

The Hebrew name of the Seraphim is translated “Serpents”,
and as this is related to the verbal root ShRP, “to burn up”, it may be assumed
that these are the fiery Serpents associated with the creative fire and
processes in both Nature and man. The planet is Mars.

TIPHERETH

From Chesed (masculine) and Geburah (feminine)
ema­nated the sixth and uniting Sephira, Tiphereth, Beauty or Mildness, the
heart and centre of the Sephirothal Tree. This is said to be the place allotted
by the Israelites to the Messiah and by the early Christians to the Christ. The
Archangel Head is Michael, “who is like unto God”. The Order of angels is the
Malachim, meaning “Kings” and known in Christianity as Virtues. Another system
places Raphael here, and Michael in the eighth Sephira. The “planet” is the
Sun.

In terms of planes of Nature and levels of normal
human consciousness, Tiphereth marks both a boundary and a place of union
between the Divine and the human, the Macrocosm and the microcosm, the Abstract
and the concrete. Here is said to exist, symbolically, Paroketh, the so-called
Veil of the temple both of seven-planed Nature and of seven-principled man.
This Veil must be pierced by those who would ascend in consciousness the middle
pillar of the Tree of Life, liberate themselves from the purely human delusion
of separated self­hood which must be “crucified” and enter into realisation of
unity with the One Great Self of All. Thereafter the occult forces of the
abstract or formless worlds and their angelic directors may be invoked both to
quicken human evolution by arousing the hidden forces in the force-centres in
the per­sonal nature and body of man and to assist in various kinds of occult
work.

By the union of Geburah or Severity, Justice and
Chesed or Mercy, Beauty, Harmony, Clemency are produced, and the second
Sephirothal Trinity is complete. This sixth Sephira, Tiphereth, with the
fourth, fifth, seventh, eighth and ninth, is spoken of as the Microposopus or
Lesser Counten­ance, the reflection into manifestation of Macroposopus, and its
antithesis.

NETZACH

The seventh Sephira is Netzach, Firmness,
Victory. The Archangelic Head is called Hamiel, “the Grace of God”, and the
Order of angels is the Elohim, “the Gods”, also called Tsarshisim, “Brilliant
Ones”, known as Principalities in Christianity. Hamiel, it is, who is said to
be thus described in the Book of Daniel,
Chapter X. 5, 6:

“Then I lifted up mine eyes, and
looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of
Uphaz:

“His body also was like the beryl
and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and
his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his
words like the voice of a multitude.”

The planet associated with this Sephira is Venus.

HOD

From Netzach proceeded the feminine, passive
potency, Hod, the eighth Sephira, Splendour, the God of Armies. The Archangel
Head is Raphael, “Divine Physician”, the Angel of Healing, intermediary between
man and God, who is assisted by a hierarchy of ministering angels known in one
interpretation as the Beni Elohim, “the Sons of God”, and as Archangels in
Christianity. The planet is Mercury.

YESOD

Hod and Netzach together produced the ninth
Sephira. Yesod, the Foundation of Basis, “the Mighty Living One”. The Archangel
Head is Gabriel, “the Mighty One of God”. The Order of angels is the Kerubim, “the
Holy Living Crea­tures”, the Angels of Christianity. Evidently an intimate
connection exists between the Kerubim of the first Sephira in the supernal
worlds and those of Yesod in the etheric counterpart and body of the outer,
material universe. They are sometimes called Aishim or “the Flames” and are
also referred to as the four angels of the subtle elements of earth, fire,
water and air.

The Kerubim are associated with the
constellations of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius, or the Bull, the Lion, the
Eagle and the Man. Part of their duty is said to be to gather the forces of
Nature on the astral plane and pour them into the Kingdom of Earth, Malkuth,
and to control them in all their complex manifestations. They are also regarded
as agents of the Lipika
or Recorders, the Lords of Karma
and Regents of the four quarters of the universe. The planet is the Moon.
Netzach, Hod and Yesod together complete the third Trinity in the Sephirothal
Tree.

MALKUTH

From the ninth Sephira came the tenth and last,
com­pleting the decade of the numbers. It is called Malkuth, the Kingdom of
Earth, all Nature, and also the Queen, Matrona, the Inferior Mother. Malkuth is
sometimes called Shekinah and so would seem to represent the veil both of
primordial Matter and of physical Nature.

Two Archangels are associated with Malkuth. They
are the Metatron of Kether and his brother and co-worker, Sandalphon, the
kabbalistic Prince of Angels. Sandalphon, the Dark Angel, may be regarded as
the densely material shakti
or power of Metatron, the Bright Angel. Since the physical plane of the planet
Earth is the place of the outwork­ing of man’s physical karma,
Sandalphon is sometimes regard­ed as an Angel of personal karma.
Metatron, on the other hand, is associated with the Celestial Agents of Karma
who are concerned with the karma
of the human race as a whole. The Archangel of our Earth in particular is said
to be Auriel, “the Light of God”. The Order of angels is the Ishim or “Fires”.
No single planet, unless it be the Earth, is allotted to Malkuth, which
apparently includes the whole of physical Nature and is concerned with the four
subtle and material elements and their use in the building and transformation
of the “kingdom” of the visible universe.

THE TREE OF LIFE IN MAN

Such, in part, is the Tree of Life of the
Kabbalah, said to be derived from the primeval Secret Doctrine of the East.

It is regarded as one of the great master symbols
and keys of occult science. With the Hebrew alphabet, it is said to exemplify
the principle that evolution is simple or single at the source, and infinitely
complex in manifestation.

This mathematical diagram sets forth a system by
which man can rise to spiritual heights by manifesting in and through himself
the qualities of the ten Sephiras. As he awakens in himself his inherent
powers, represented in the universe by each of the ten Sephiras, and in himself
physically by his nerve and glandular centres and superphysically by his chakras
and their vivifying triune Serpent Fire, he enters into conscious rapport
with the Orders of angels associated with each, and ultimately with their
Archangelic Heads. Thus attuned, he collaborates with them and they with him,
in the fulfilment of the Great Work[92]
to which both angels and men are called.

In every man, indeed, exist potentially Rashith
Ha- Galgalim, the primum
mobile, the beginning of whirling mo­tions of Kether;
the Masloth, the sphere of the
Zodiac, of Chokmah; the Shabbathai
or rest, Saturn of Binah; the Tzedeq, righteousness,
Jupiter of Chesed; the Madim,
vehement strength, Mars of Geburah; the Shemesh,
the solar light, the Sun of Tiphereth; the Nogah,
glittering splendour, Venus of Netzach; the Kokab,
the stellar light, Mercury of Hod; the Levanah,
the lunar flame, the Moon of Yesod; the Cholom
Yesodoth, the breaker of the foundations, the elements of
Malkuth. All these exist potentially within every man, and throughout his
existence he gradually unfolds the whole pattern and image of Deity which
ultimately is made manifest in him. Then he fulfils his destiny as enunciated
by our

Lord: “Ye shall be perfect, even as your Father
which is in heaven is perfect”,[93]
and completes, as far as he himself is concerned, the Great Work.

THE AURIC
TREE OF LIFE

In the diagram, the Auric Tree of Life, an
attempt is made to portray the microcosmic tree as it presumably exists in man.
This diagram shows the areas in the subtle bodies which are vibrating in unison
with the Regents of the planets and the Zodiacal Signs, each of whom have their
representa­tions in the nature, the aura and the physical body of man, thereby
linking Macrocosm with microcosm.

The middle pillar of the diagram corresponds to
the spinal cord and the feminine column containing Binah, Geburah and Hod would
be on the right side, and the mascu­line pillar containing Chokmah, Chesed and
Netzach on the left. These three currents of force may also refer to the three­fold
creative Serpent Fire in Nature and in man with its triple currents and their
channels called Ida
(feminine), Pingala (masculine) and Sushumna
(neutral and spinal).

If the two currents of force represented by the
two pillars (white in the diagram) in the front of the aura are followed over
the head, where they will presumably cross, then they will travel down the back
of the aura (black in the diagram) on opposite sides to make four pillars in
all, with the central one in the midst.

In practical, esoteric Kabbalism these forces, chakras and
correspondences with the Creative Intelligences of the universe are aroused
into conscious activity by means of various forms of meditation, ritual
invocations to the Gods who are addressed by their Divine Names and other mantric titles,
magical ceremonials and very potent prayers. This Chapter closes with one
version of an ancientkabbalistic
prayer.

Universal God, One
Light, One Life, One Power,

Thou All in All,
beyond expression, beyond comprehension, Oh,

Nature! Thou
something from No-thing,

Thou symbol of
Wisdom,

In myself I am
nothing,

In Thee I am I.

I live in Thee,

Live Thou in me,

And bring me out
of the region of self,

Into the eternal
Light.

AMEN

THE TEN SEPHIROTH

AIN,
the negatively existent

AIN
SOPH, the limitless

AIN
SOPH AUR, the limitless light

ADAM KADMON, THE HEAVENLY MAN, THE LOGOS

In Whom the Ten Sephiroth Are Synthesised and from whom they emanate

NUMBER
NAME MEANING

ORDER
OF ANGELS MEANING FUNCTION

ARCHANGEL
MEANINGS

CLASSIFICA-TIONS

PLANE
PRINCIPLE

OF
MAN PLANET

FUNCTION
DIVINE NAME AND MEANING

INVERSE
SEPHIRAS

ORDERS

ARCH-
DEMONS

1.KETHER Crown

CHERUBIM

Holy
living creatures (4-faced)Solar Lipika In Yetzirah

METATRON
Angel of the Presence

World
Prince Shekinah

In
Briah

Positive
Yod of Tetra-grammaton Atziluth Archetypal Macroposopus

Adi
Chiah Primum Moblie

Emanates
Nine Sephiras Eheieh (I am) The Lord who Blinks

Thamiel

Satan-Moloch

2.CHOKMAH Wisdom

AUPHANIM

Cherubim
Wheels

RATZIEL
The Herald of Deity

Positive
Yod Briah Creative The Throne of Glory

Anupadaka
Chiah Zodiac

The
Father Jehovah Existence as male and female

Chaigidel

Beelzebub-God
of Files God of the Sacred Scarabei God of the Dwelling

3.BINAH Intelligence

ARELIM
Mighty Oaes Thrones

TZAPHQIEL
Contemplation of God

Negative
He Briah

Atma
Spiritual Will Nechamah Saturn

The
Supernal Mother Jehovah Elohim. Exist-ence as Gods

Satariel

Lucifuge

4.CHESED

Mercy

CHASHMALIM
Brilliant Ones Dominations

TZADQIEL
Justice of God

Positive
Vau Yetzirah Microposopus

Buddhi
Intuition Jupiter

EI

Gamchico-th

Ashtaroth

5.GEBURAH

SSERAPHIM
Burning, Fiery Serpents Powers

KHAMAEL
SAMAEL Severity of God

Negative
Vau Yetzirah Microposopus

Higher
Mind Casual Body and Ruach Mars or Saturn

Elohim
Gibor

Galab

Asmodeus
The evil spirit of concupiscen-ce Ashmedai the Destroyer

6.TIPHERETH beauty Clemency The Spiritual Sun

MALACHIM
Kings Virtues

MICHAEL
Like unto God

Androgyne
Vau Yetzirah Microposopus

Middle
mind Antahkarana Ruach And Auric Envelope Sun

Eloah

Vadaeth

Tagaririm

Belphegor

7.NETZACH

Victory

ELOHIM

Gods
Tsarshisim Brilliant Ones Principalities

HAMIEL
Grace of God

Positive
Vau Yetzirah Microposopus

Astral
Emotional Body and Ruach Venus

The
Fighting God JehovahTzabaoth The Lord of Sabaoth

Harab-Serapel

Baal

8.HOD Splendour

BENI
ELOHIM Sons of God Wind Brcath Holy Ghost Archangels

RAPHAEL
Divine Physician

Negative
Vau Yetzirah Microposopus

Lower
Mind Mental Body and Ruach Mercury and Mars

Elohim
Tzabaoth

Samael
Incarnation of Human Vices Death Satan

Adrammalech

9.YESOD
Foundation

CHERUBIM

Four
beasts whatchers Angels

GABRIEL
Man-God

Androgyne
Vau Yetzirah Microposopus

Etheric
Etheric Body and Nephesch Prana-Kama Moon

A
Nursing Mother Shaddai EI Chai The Pourer Forth

Gamalied

Lilith,
First Wife of Adam Night Lamia or Female Demon

10.MALKUTH
Kingdom The material Universe

KLIPOTH

ISHIM
The Multitude of the Redeemed

Metatron
(second phase) Sandalphon Messias

Negative
He Asiah

Physical
Veil of Nephesch - Physical Body Four Element

The
Inferior Mother Bride and Queen of Microposopus Adonai Melekh Lord King

SATAN AND
ARMAGEDDON

IN occult philosophy, Deity is Eternal Life,
manifested in form according to numerical law in Manvantara and unmanifest in any
form conceivable by the human mind in Pralaya.In one aspect, Satan is
Eternal Substance, resistingly shaped into forms by the One Life during Manvantara,and
remaining formless during Pralaya.

The Archangels and angels in their ten Orders
make manifest Eternal Life according to the “Word”. In one of their many
aspects, the Inverse Sephiras are expressions of Eternal Substance and its
inherent spirit of resistance to Life. In man these two meet, and his Herculean
task is to bring them to perfect equipoise. As adept, he achieves this in his
own nature. As Logos, he establishes it in a Solar System of his own emanation.
Since man is the only being in whom spirit and matter are equally present, he
becomes the battle­ground of the universe. Armageddon is waged within him. The
spirit in him suffers continual “defeat” until the day of the development of
the Higher Mind. From that time onwards, the “defeat” of matter is assured.
When the light of intuition begins to shine within man, victory is in his
hands. As a race he then establishes brotherhood on his Planetary home. As an
individual he “enters the Stream”,becoming an Initiate of
the Greater Mysteries, and later an Adept.[94]

As manifested powers, both spirit and matter are
septenates, and find expression in and through seven principles. Those of Deity
are the modifications in Divine consciousness of which the seven states of
matter are the material product. The seven principles of Satan, in the occult
sense, are those seven planes of matter and their seven sub-planes. Neither
Satan as a personal devil, an isolated embodiment of infamy, nor God as an
extra-Cosmic, almighty, infinite yet personal, moral Governor, whose laws can
be abrogated or modified by personal persuasion or bargaining, as assumed in
the popu­lar imagination or the theological mind, has any place in occult
philosophy. There is truth in the concept of a Cosmic pair of opposites, spirit
and matter, activity and inertia, con­struction and destruction, I-am-ness and
I-am-all-ness, but their man-made images are a delusion.

Nevertheless, in their exoteric aspects, almost
all religions have promulgated the idea of an Evil Being in perpetual opposition
to the Supreme Deity. Popular Christianity is no exception, though, as is the
case with so many of its doctrines, the Satanic form has changed with the
passage of time. Dante described the Devil as a giant with three heads,
coloured red, yellow and black. Milton and Goethe presented a tragic, yet
heroic and even reasonable, man of the world. The Devil has also been made to
wear a one-piece suit of red and to be armed with* a pitchfork. Behind these
popular images is a concept of Satan as a fallen angel, a once-pure spirit, con­tinually
tempting man to sin. Since evil is a negative quality, being merely the lack of
good in man, and Satan is the embodi­ment of that evil, he cannot be regarded
as a positive, exist­ing principle. Rather does he represent the absence of the
good, empty spaces in the omnipresent web of the universe, interstices,
perhaps, in the warp and weft upon which the great Weaver perpetually weaves,
or manifests outwardly, Divine ideas.

The existence of both Devil and evil is
intimately asso­ciated with the attribute of free-will in man. Within the
structure of cosmic law, and apart from the irresistible evolu­tionary thrust,
man possesses the freedom to think, plan, speak and act either in accordance
with Nature’s purpose or against it. When, whether consciously or
unconsciously, he operates against it, he becomes an antagonist of cosmic
purpose. In consequence, he generates for himself adverse or “evil” experiences
and conditions of life. If he continues, he tends to become cut oif from the
currents of the universal Life-force, isolated, a being of death rather than of
life. Some men have thus continued to exercise their freedom of action. They
are the so-called black magicians, the Dark Powers, the followers of the Left
Hand Path, the Lords of the Dark Face, the dread Brothers of the Shadow. Their
destiny is not to be annihilated, but to sink into the condition known as Avichi, the
“wave-less”, the opposite pole to Nirvana to which the Adepts of the Right Hand
Path attain. Ultimately, in a later cycle of manifestation, these who become
highly developed embodiments of self-separateness re-embark upon the
involutionary and evolutionary journey. Satan himself, if regarded as an
existent being, would seem to have exercised this freedom; for at some time he
must have chosen a path of individualistic, self-separative motive and action.

Thus, in one aspect, Satan is a personification
of Ahamkara, the I-making impulse
from which arises the delusion of self-separateness within omnipresent
Spirit-Life. All evil, and in consequence all human sorrow, is said to spring
from this heresy of “separateness”. In another aspect, the fabu­lous monster
which is the Satan of popular theology may be regarded as an excuse, a
scapegoat, someone to take the blame for the errors into which humanity falls
whilst passing through the purely emotional and mental (especially) phases of
its evolution.

The action of the Inverse Sephira, Beelzebub, “God
of Flies”, Prince of Devils,[95]
may be taken as an example of the place granted in occult philosophy to some of
the dark Nume­rations. They are regarded in general as personifications of the
resistance of matter to the harmonising process which Nature must achieve in
and through her son—man—before the close of Maha-Manvantara.
This resistance cannot with truth be regarded as evil, since without it there
could be no development and expression of latent powers.

As the scarab beetle encloses the seed of its
life in a ball of mud, so, it would seem, does Beelzebub, also named Lord of
Scarabs, enshroud the Monads of men in material vehicles. Having performed its
enclosing function, the scarab rolls the ball of mud to a sunny spot and leaves
it to its own devices and to the influence of the sun. Ultimately the egg
hatches and brings forth the larva which becomes the winged scarab, in its turn
parent of further eggs. Beelzebub, in its esoteric meaning, may perhaps be
regarded as a personification of that impulse, which the scarab shares with all
Nature, to enclose life in forms, Monads in bodies, and to send them forth on
their cyclic journeyings or bind them to the wheel of major and minor cycles.
That is probably why the scarab was sacred in Egypt; for as an insect, it
habitually exhibits one of Nature’s most mysterious powers and attributes.

One Order of the Inverse Sephiras, possibly the
second and third Numerations, are Intelligences who fashioned the mental,
emotional and etheric-physical bodies of the first three Races of men to
inhabit this earth in this world period. These Pitris,
as they are called in Hinduism, also fulfilled the office of “inducting “or “luring
“the Monad-Egos of those Races into the bodies which they had constructed for
them. Since this materialising function appears evil from the point of view of
the evolutionary arc which tends towards spirituali­sation, these Intelligences
are sometimes referred to as the Satanic Hierarchies. As is stated in Part V, “The
Miracle of Birth and the World Mother”, when investigating the descent of human
Egos into birth, I received evidence that a corresponding function is still
performed by members of the Angelic Hosts for all human beings on the pre-natal
or down­ward “arc “of the cycle of each successive birth, when the Ego projects
a ray of its power, life and consciousness from the realm of Spiritual
Intelligence in which it abides. Mem­bers of one Order of the Angelic Hosts
assist in building the mental, emotional, etheric-physical bodies, in their
mutual adjustment and in the induction of human consciousness into them.

Whilst the enshrouding, burying, embodying
function of certain of the Inverse Sephiras does impose temporary limitations
upon the life within, it cannot truly be regarded as evil. Neither can the
Intelligences concerned with these processes, be regarded, with any truth, as
Satanic; for descent is essential to ascent, temporary embodiment to the
develop­ment of latent powers. In the Egyptian religion, the God “Khepera, ‘he
who rolls was the ‘father’ of the Gods and the creator of all things in heaven
and earth ... self-begotten and self-born . . . identified with the rising sun
and new birth generally.” [96]

In Kabbalism, the Inverse Sephiras are opposite
Numer­ations to the Superior Sephiras. They are personifications of functions
apparently opposed to those which the Superior Sephiras perform. The former are
on the side of matter and the latter on that of spirit. The former accentuate
the guna[97]of
tamas, the latter rajas.
The middle pillar in the diagram of the Sephirothal Tree represents, in one
aspect, man the harmoniser, the balancer, the embodied principle of equili­brium.
His office in the universe is to establish and maintain sattva.

The symbol of involution, the blazing sword with
curved blade, resembling a lightning flash, is portrayed in the Tree of Life by
means of a line drawn from Kether through Chokmah, Binah. Chesed, Geburah,
Tiphereth, Netzach, Hod and Yesod into Malkuth. The evolutionary path,
symbolised by the caduceus, the wand of Hermes, in one of its many meanings, is
obtained by two lines rising from Malkuth, proceeding upwards and crossing over
at each Sephira of the central pillar.

THE
ARCH-FIENDS

The Inverse Sephiras in their ten degrees thus
answer to the decade of the Sephiroth, but in inverse ratio, as darkness and
impurity increase with the descent of each degree.[98]
This position becomes apparent when the functions of the Inverse Sephiras are
compared with those of their corresponding Superior Sephiras. The former are
also referred to as the Lords of Unbalanced Forces, sometimes associated with “the
Kings that reigned in the land of Edom, before there reigned any king over the
children of Israel”.[99]
Kabbalistically they are linked with the Qliphoth who were Intelligences or Pitris connected with the
deepest phases of the process of involution or forthgoing at which, before the
path of return was entered upon, a condition of unbalance or non-equilibrium
between spirit and matter existed for a time. In terms of human evo­lution the
kings of Edom referred to the Archetypal, shadowy, non-physical, “pre-Adamite “first
race of men on earth which was androgynous or created before the balance of the
sexes. The equilibrated compound of spirit and matter, positive and negative,
male and female came about after the separation of the sexes in the later Third
Root Race.

The Orders of retrograde spirits and Arch-fiends
cor­respond to the angels and Archangels, and are enumerated by A. E. Waite in
his book The Doctrine and Literature of the Kabalahas
follows:

I.“THAUMIEL,
the doubles of God, said to be two- headed and so
named, because they pretend to be equal to the Supreme Crown. This is properly
the title of the averse Sephiracorresponding
to Kether.The
cortex is CATHARIEL,according to the Supplements of the Zohar. Satan
and Moloch are said to be the arch-demons, but the attributions are hopelessly
confused throughout, partly owing to the obscure classifications of the Zohar
and the contradictions of later Kabalists.

II.“CHAIGIDIEL,
a term connecting with the significance of placenta,or,
according to other authorities, with that of obstruction, in the sense of an
impedi­ment to the heavenly influx. This averse Sephira corresponds to Chokmah.Its
cortices are the OGHIELor GHOGIELwhich cleave to illusory or material appearances
in opposition to those of reality and wisdom. This explanation is, of course,
very late. The arch-demon is said to be ADAM
BELIAL,and so again is Beelzebuth. The
Dukes of Esau are also connected with this number.

III.SATHARIEL,
the concealment of God, meaning that this averse Sephira,unlike
Binah,or
Intelligence, hides the face of mercy. In the Supplements of the Zohar it is
termed sheiriel, from
the hirsute body of Esau. The Dukes of Esau are referred to this number,
instead of to the averse corres­pondence of Chokmah,
by the same work. lucifuge is
said to be the arch-demon, but this is obviously not a Kabalistic term; it is
known, however, to the grimories and to some later demonologists of the Latin
church.

IV.GAMCHICOTH, ORGOG SHEKLAH, disturber
of all things, the averse correspondence of Chesed.
According to the Zoharic Supplements the cortex seems to be azariel. The arch-demon is astaroth in late Kabalism.

V.GOLAB, or
burning in the sense of incendiarism. This is the averse correspondence of Geburah and
the antithesis of the Seraphim or Fiery Ser­pents. The cortex is usiel. The arch-demon of late
Kabalism is asmodeus.

VI.TOGARINI, wranglers,
because, according to Isaac de Loria, this averse correspondence of Tiphereth strives
with the supernal Geburah.
The cortices are called zomiel and
the arch-demon is BELAHEGOR.

VII.HARAB SERAP, dispersing
raven, referring to the idea that this bird drives out its young, the averse
correspondence of Netzach.
The cortices are the theumiel and
the arch-demon is baal chan an.

VIII.SAMAEL, or
embroilment, corresponding to Hod,
the supernal Victory. The cortices are THEUNIEL according to the
Supplements of the Zohar, and ADRAMALEK is
the name assigned to the arch­demon by late writers.

IX.GAMALIEL, the obscene, in averse correspondence with Jesod, which signifies the generation of the higher order, OGIEL, which other classifications attribute to the averse
correspondence of Chesed, seems to be the cortex mentioned in the Zoharic
Supplements, and the arch-fiend is LILITH, accord­ing to late Kabalism.

X.LILITH[100] is, however, according to another tabulation, the averse
correspondence of Malkuth, with whom later Kabalism connects NAHEMA[101], the demon of impurity.”
[102]

THE
SATANIC HIERARCHIES

Lofty Intelligences, Dhyan
Chohans, the Archangels and angels of
Kabbalism, direct both the involutionary and the evolutionary processes and
ensure their “success”. Those assisting on the downward arc tend to be regarded
by man as Satanic. Those active on the upward arc are regarded as redemptive.
Scriptural allegories present them as antagonists and man looks upon them as
devilish and divine respectively. In reality, they are mutually equipoised
powers working for temporarily opposite objectives.

The Irish poet, James
Stephens, intuited and expressed this profoundly occult teaching in his poem, The
Fullness of Time:[103]

“On a rusty iron
throne,

Past the furthest
star of space,

I saw Satan sit
alone,

Old and haggard
was his face;

For his work was
done, and he Rested in eternity.

“And to him from
out the sun Came his father and his friend,

Saying,—Now the
work is done Enmity is at an end—

And He guided
Satan to Paradises that He knew.

“Gabriel, without
a frown;

Uriel, without a
spear;

Raphael, came
singing down,

Welcoming their
ancient peer;

And they seated
him beside One who had been crucified.”

THE
NATURE OF EVIL

Pneumatology apart, Satan as the personification
and incarnation of pure evil has, in occult philosophy, no existence by
himself. Evil is but the absence of good. It exists only for him or her who is
made its victim. Demon Deus inversus est.
The Devil is the shadow of himself which a man sees when he turns his back to
the light. Nature is neither good nor evil, and manifestation follows only
unchanging and impersonal law.

The existence and human experience of the duality
of spirit and matter, light and darkness, motion and inertia, expansion and
contraction, cause man to think of these as good and evil respectively. If
resistance provides a fulcrum, then it is regarded as good. If it frustrates—as
by the all- too-familiar “malice of the object” —or harms man, then it is evil
in his eyes. The analogy of the searchlight partly illustrates this. Outside
the beam and, as it were, pressing upon it from every side, is darkness. Light
and darkness are perceived as a pair of opposites. The light-giving effects of
the beam ceases at the limit of its range. There darkness begins. Thereafter
darkness reigns. The instant the current is switched off, darkness reigns
everywhere. If light is good, then the searchlight might be classed by man as
good and the darkness as evil. But what, in fact, is that darkness which man
calls evil? It is matter not subjected to light. Darkness is unlighted matter.
Man calls it evil, and for him the Devil personifies this state.

Plotinus, in his Tractate on The Nature
and Source of Evil,[104]
translated by Stephen McKenna and B. S. Page, says:

“Evil is from the Ancient Kind
which we read is the underlying Matter not yet brought to order by the Ideal
Form.

“Given that The Good is not the
only existent thing, it is inevitable that by the outgoing from it or, if the
phrase be preferred, the continuous down-going, or away-going from it, there
should be produced a Last some­thing after which nothing more can be produced;
this will be evil.

“As necessarily as there is
Something after the First, so necessarily there is a Last; this Last is Matter,
the thing that has no residue of good in it; here is the necessity of evil.”

To this, whilst concurring, the occultist would
doubtless add “according to the mind and values of man”. For in their essential
existence, spirit and matter are neither moral nor unmoral, neither good nor
bad. They exist as apparent opposites; that is all. Matter appears to resist
spirit. But so does the fulcrum of lever, yet without a fulcrum, leverage is
impossible. So, apart from human values and human experience, evil as an actual
creation does not exist. The origin of evil is in the mind of man. All things
can appear as either evil or good, according to human experience and human use
of them. Shakespeare echoed this teaching in his words: “Nothing is either good
or bad, but thinking made it so.” [105]

THE INDWELLING LIFE

THE ministry of the angels, a cardinal doctrine of many
faiths, has long been a living reality to a great many people. Occult research
supports the doc­trine, revealing that, as part of that ministry, certain
Orders of angels are regularly present at religious Services[106] and certain other Ceremonials; for whenever superphysical
forces are evoked and directed, whether by means of thought and will alone or
by the use of symbols, signs and words of power, appropriate Orders of angels
at once appear as the natural agents of those forces. Their function is both to
conserve and direct the forces generated by ceremonial action, prayer and
adoration and to serve as channels for the power and the blessing which descend
in response. This ministration is far more effectively carried out when
recognised by ministrants and congregation.

Two
other aspects of the subject are, however, worthy of consideration. There are
the effect upon the evolving life in Nature of Church Services such as the
Celebration of the Holy Eucharist and the participation in human worship of the
nature spirits and the Angelic Hosts. A digression is, however, necessary in
order to present the point of view from which I write concerning the life and
consciousness of Nature. Under certain conditions of heightened awareness,[107] the uni­versal, indwelling,
divine Life becomes visible, though transla­tion of such vision into brain
consciousness and words presents many difficulties. When this state is
attained, the divine Life in Nature is seen as an all-pervading, glowing,
golden Life- force, omnipresent as an ensouling principle in every atom of
every world. Physical forms then disappear. One is within and part of an
all-pervading ocean of golden, glowing Life, which consists of myriads of
points of light, inter­connected by lines of force, the whole being part of an apparently
infinite, living web[108] of exceedingly fine mesh
which pervades all beings, all things, all worlds. Each of the points is found
to be a source of Life, almost a sun, within which Life-force wells up as from
an inexhaustible fount. From these centres, the golden power flows along the
great web, vitalising all substance. There is no dead matter. All beings and
all things are seen to be filled with the indwelling Life or Fire of God.

In
the light of this vision, it would seem that the life of Nature is quickened
every time the Holy Eucharist and certain other rituals are performed. The
degree of response varies in each of the kingdoms of Nature and depends upon
evolu­tionary development. In the mineral kingdom in which consciousness “sleeps”
it is relatively dull; in the plant in which consciousness “dreams” it is
greater; in the animal and in nature spirits, in both of which consciousness “awakens”,
it is greater still; and in self-conscious beings such as angels and men it is
greatest of all. At each Celebra­tion, the power of response throughout the
five kingdoms is increased, and this aid in the attainment of heightened aware­ness
is part of the usefulness of every valid religious Rite.

In
illustration, Nature may be likened to a plant which depends upon sunlight for
its growth and flowering. If, after many cloudy days, the sun suddenly appears
in all its brilliance, the life-processes of the plant are greatly stimulated,
as the experiments of Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, the great Indian scientist, so
clearly demonstrated. If, in addition, the sun itself could be brought down to
the plant without harming it and the plant receive into itself directly and
individually an added measure of sunlight, then its whole growth would be
correspondingly stimulated. It has seemed to me that a similar but spiritual,
quickening occurs at Holy Communion, when the Lord Christ, the Sun of Divine
Love, as also the Son of God, in His own Person draws near to all Nature and
through the Sacred Elements is received by man.

THE
HOLY EUCHARIST

My
understanding of this wider significance of Church worship was deepened by
observation of the response of Nature and the participation of the angels at an
open-air Celebration of the Holy Eucharist[110] in Java. The selected site
of the temporary Church, which was a garden on the slopes of Arjoena Mountain,
permitted a splendid view across a great plain to Mount Kawi and, in the remote
distance, to Mount Semeroe.

Before
the service began, nature spirits assembled near the Church in large numbers,
attracted by the preparations and the intent of all concerned. As might be
expected in this lovely land of luxuriant tropical vegetation, fairies and
tree-spirits predominated in this assembly, whilst the great mountain Gods
participated from their stations above their respective peaks. In addition,
certain high Gods of earth, water, air and fire attended, as would seem to be
the case at every such Celebration, when they contribute their special power
and direct the participation in the Service of their sub­ordinates and the
forces of their element. This is especially noticeable at the Offertorium, in which all Nature seems
to unite with man in the offering of the elements and in self­surrender to the
Lord of Life.

As
angels and nature spirits from near and far thus shared in human worship, the
Celebration in Java assumed a magni­tude far beyond anything visible at the
physical level. At the moment of Consecration when, as always, the Power and
the Presence of the Lord descended in a golden radiance, with the Host at its
heart, the angels bowed low in reverence. The Life in all Nature in the
neighbourhood of the Church seemed to glow more brilliantly. The consciousness
of mineral and plant seemed to awake and respond, as the glory of His Pre­sence
shone from the altar as the truly magical words of Consecration were uttered.
Angels joined mentally with the human congregation in fullest measure in the te adoremus and adeste fideles, their participation
appearing to be far more vivid than man’s, since human consciousness is dulled
by incarnation. At the ite
missa est, as
is usual, the spiritual forces generated by the whole ceremony were liberated
upon the world, angels accompanying them on their spiritualising mission. The
Gods of Nature and the nature spirits, having received into them­selves these
quickening forces, later released them into those aspects of Nature with which
they were variously associated.

Thus,
externally, through the Rite which He instituted, and by the co-operation of
angels and men, the Lord of Love keeps His promise to be with us “always even
unto the end of the World”. Interiorly, He needs no ceremonial to keep this
promise; for in His mystical at-one-ment with the Spiritual Selves of all
mankind, He pours into them His perfected and quickening Life and Light and
Power. Even so, awareness in consciousness of His perpetual atoning Ministry
could be aided by united worship in forms found to be elevating to those of
various temperaments.

THE
DEVIC SEAL

WHILST ceremonial intelligently performed
is one of the most effective means of co-operation between angels and men, it
is by no means essential. The human mind is a powerful broadcasting and
receiving station. When empowered by strong will, trained in concentration and
illumined by intui­tive recognition of the unity of life, the mind becomes an
exceedingly potent instrument.

When human
thought is strongly directed towards a particular Order of angels, a mental
signal is despatched and received by members of that Order. If the sender has
attained to a certain universality of consciousness, and his motive is. In
consequence entirely selfless, the angels will unfailingly respond. Man may
then direct his thought-force into, and himself enter, the chosen field of
work, assured of angelic co-operation.

This combined
activity may consist of such ministrations to others as spiritual healing[111], inspiration, protection, or aid in
overcoming weakness of character. Collaboration may also be sought in order to
achieve needed inspiration in the execution of altruistic work. Angels are
powerful allies in such
ministrations, being able both to open up the channels of inspiration between
the higher consciousness and the brain and telepathically to convey a train of
illuminating ideas to receptive minds.

The regular practice of invoking the help
of the angels is found to produce a change in the human aura. The link thus
formed is visible as an area of brilliant light vibrating at the frequencies
characteristic of the auras of the angels. When this devic seal, as it is
called, is vivified by ceremonial action or by thought and will alone, it “transmits”
a signal on the wave-lengths of the particular Order of angels whose aid is being
invoked. This call is then “picked up” by the angels to whom it corresponds in
terms of vibratory frequency. Their attention thus gained, they are at once
ready to render assistance.

Although clairvoyance is of help in this
process, it also is not essential. Regular practice, based upon intuitive recognition
of the truth of these ideas, will quickly provide strong evidence, if not
proof, of the reality and efficacy of co-operation between angels and men. Such
co-operation is indeed, continually occurring in the realm of the Higher Self
of man, unaware of the fact though the lower self may be.

As previously stated, each of the
well-established nations of the world is presided over by an angel Ruler who
assists the race in the fulfilment of its destiny. These great Arch­angels—” Thrones”
in Christian angelology—inspire the nation through the national Ego or
Oversoul, and its leaders through their Higher Selves. Under such conditions of
angelic inspiration, a statesman becomes possessed of powers hitherto
unsuspected in him. As long as he selflessly serves his nation, his power will
grow. Should selfish interests blind him to his duty to the State, angelic and
other inspiration would be withdrawn and his power decline, a phenomenon not
infrequently observable in the lives of public men. Whilst such co-operation is
always available and is not infrequently given, its effectiveness is greatly
increased when it is initiated and recognised by man.

The Gods were thus recognised by the
peoples of olden days and their aid was invoked. Belief in them by the peoples
of ancient Egypt, Greece, Assyria and India should not, how­ever, be regarded
as evidence of polytheism. The existence of one Supreme Being was always
recognised, the Gods being regarded as subordinate manifestations of aspects
and powers of that One Alone. These beings were not mere figments of the
imagination, nor were they solely personifications of natural forces, laws and
phenomena. Occult
research reveals that certain of them had a real existence and were none other
than the Angelic Hosts with whom the people of those days, particularly the
Initiates of the Sanctuaries, consciously co-operated.

MAYAN GODS

Interesting records of
such collaboration have been dis­covered in Central America. According to the
researches of Ricardo Mimenza Castillo of Yucatan, who has for many years been
interested in Mayan research, this ancient people practised co-operation
between angels and men. Apparently every department of life was supposed to be
presided over by an appropriate deity. Here is a list of them as given in the St. Louis Star[112]:

“Hunab-Ku, comparable to
Zeus, goddess of medicine; Ixazahualoh, goddess of weaving; Ixchebelyax,
goddess of painting; Zuhuykah, goddess of virginity; Zitholontum, god of
medicine; Xocvitun, god of singing; Akinzoc, god of music; Pizlimtec, god of
poetry; Kukulcan, god of war; Ahchuykak, the twins of the past and of
attributes; Acate, god of commerce; Mutulzec, god of tortures; Chas, god of
agriculture; Tabai, god of fishing; Kinichkakmo, god of fire; Ztab, god of
suicide; Ekxhuah, god of travellers; to which are to be added the following
tutelary deities: Kinch Ahan Haban, god of Campeche; Chun Caan, god of T-ho;
Kabul, god of a place not known, but also the right hand of Izamal; Kakupacat,
god of fire and Hun Ahau, also known as Yum Kimil, god of the underworld.

“To make these names
pronounceable, it should be stated that Mayan and Aztec “x “had the sound of “sh
“in English.

“Whether by accident or
relationship, many of these Mayan gods had their counterparts in the mythology
of the Greeks. For instance, the Mayan underworld was very similar to that
presided over by Pluto. It was a place wrapped in eternal darkness and all
those cast into it for transgressions in life suffered without end from cold,
hunger, thirst, sleepi­ness, tortures, the sight of cruel spectacles, and were
obliged to keep on wandering in the fashion of the Wandering Jew.

“The Mayans also had
their heaven or paradise. It was an abode blessed with an ideal climate in
which all plant and animal life flourished as nowhere in this physical world.
The souls that were translated into this Elysium spent their time in what may
be called the Platonian discussions of the purpose of existence and the true
nature of the supreme God. From these labours they rested by listening to music
and regaling themselves with perfumes and other delights.

“This heaven was presided
over by four Bacabes, the Bacabe being a sort of angel, one of whom sat at each
of the principal cardinal points and was assisted by one of the Chaques, gods
of wind and rain. The four Chaques were of different hues. The one in the north
was white, the one in the south yellow, he in the east, red and he in the west,
black.

“The underworld was under
the rule of Abcatanas, whose duty it was to foster the sacred tree with its
four roots and four branches. Here, as in the celestial regions, every­thing
was arranged in fours, due possibly to the notion of the Mayans that the earth
was a square plane.

“In Chicen-Itza,
Hunab-Ku, the Supreme, is pictured as the god from whose eyes flow two streams
of tears, one to the right and one to the left of him. From these streams rise
all floral and faunal life. The general interpretation of this is that Hunab-Ku
is engaged in the creation either as act of sacrifice or grief.

“All in all, the Mayan
concept of religion was unusually spiritual and refined and lacked entirely the
grossness of what came to be known as the religion of the Aztecs, a similar
people living contemporaneously on the Tableland of Anahuac, more especially
the tribes that inhabited then the valley of Mexico.

“The Mayan temples
resemble the structure of the Aztecs in their major feature which was the
pyramid base of the sanctuary. It is still a question whether the Mayan bor­rowed
this important detail from the builders of the pyramids who left the ruins at
San Juan Teotihuacan, in the valley of Mexico, to tell their heroic tale; or
whether the Mayan remains at Chicen-Itza were the prototype.”

The sound of these
unusual names is very interesting. Experimenting with them, I found that they
have a distinct mantric[113] value. A continuous repetition of some of them, with a
strong intent to evoke its possessor, has the effect of calling certain of
these Mayan Gods and Goddesses. Here is an interesting field of experiment for
any reader who is sufficiently sensitive to know when an answer is obtained to
an evocation of this kind, which, however,
should never be made without a definite and lawful purpose.

The Mayan angels present
a characteristic appearance, their faces somewhat resembling those of Mayan and
Peruvian statues. Many of them seem to have close affinity with the sun and
with sun worship. Kakupacat, for example, would appear to be a salamander of
great power and to be associated with solar fire resident in the centre of the earth,
also which manifested through volcanoes. Kinichkakmo apparently re­presents
surface fire and the element of fire generally. A point of interest in the
account of the Mayan Gods is the reference to the four Bacabes of the cardinal
points with their assistant Chaques and symbolic colours. Of these, the God of
the East was red, that of the North, white, that of the South, yellow and that
of the West, black.

THE DEVARAJAS

Hinduism is replete with
information concerning the Gods and prescribed methods for their invocation.
The Hindu name of the Devaraja, or Regent, of the East is Dhritarashtra, Lord of Air, and
for His subordinate hosts, Gandharvas, their symbolic colour being white. This suggests the
attribute of power for the East, as in the Mayan arrange­ment, which in its
later epoch was possibly contemporary with early Indian civilisation. The Gandharvas are the devas
of music, embodiments of
the power of the sound of the creative “Word”. The Hindu name of the Devaraja of the West is Virupaksha, Lord of Fire, and His hosts,
Nagas, their symbolic colour being red. The Hindu name for the De varaja, or Regent, of the South, is Yirudhaka, Lord of Waters, and
His hosts are called Kumbhandas, the symbolic colour being blue. The Devaraja, or Regent of the North, is called Vaish- ravana, also
Kuvera, Lord of Earth, and His hosts are the Yakshas, the symbolic colour being
golden.

ACCORDING TO THE HEBREWS

Some Jewish traditions
say that there are four Orders or Companies of angels, each with an Archangel
Head, the first Order being that of Michael, the second of Gabriel, the third
of Uriel and the fourth of Raphael. The Cherubim were angels of the power of
the strength of God. They seem to have been associated with the East or, as it
was called in the Temple, the Mercy Seat. St. Paul, describing the ancient
rites of the Jews in his Epistle
to the Hebrews,
Chapter IX, says:

“And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called
the Holiest of all; . . . and over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the
mercy seat.”

The Archangel Michael,
who is the Angelic Head of the Ray of power, would seem to be the Ruler of the
Cherubim, for in Genesis III, verse 24, we are informed:

“He placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubim and a
flaming sword which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life.”

The esoteric teachings of
the Hebrews known as the Kabbalah are replete with information concerning the
Angelic Hosts. Reference is made to them in Part III.

THE WHEEL TURNS

Evidence of the reality
of the Orders of the angels and of co-operation with them is thus afforded by
the similarity of the descriptions which are to be found in the separate
records of the various ancient races and peoples of the world. Since those
days, humanity has entered a cycle in which intel­lectual development, in its
early stage destructive of intuition and mystical experience, predominates and
from which only now it is beginning to emerge. When in the present cycle the
phase is entered corresponding to that in which communion occurred between Gods
and men in preceding cycles, the angels will again be seen by men and their
functions made the subject of scientific research. Such a phase 1 believe to be
now approaching. Indeed, signs of it are not wanting in the world to-day.

In twenty-five years of
world travel, I have found that the angels are living realities to an
increasing number of people. Many students of occult philosophy regularly
invoke their aid in healing, in Temple, Church and Masonic ceremonials and in
meditation for the purpose of radiating spiritual power, blessing and peace
upon the world. As man’s ethical and social wisdom develops he will be entrusted
with deeper knowledge of Nature’s hidden forces, laws and processes. In the new
age of brotherhood and peace the dawn of which, despite many signs to the
contrary, may even now be seen, there are grounds for hope that angels will
once more walk with men.

THOUGHT-PROJECTION

IN this Chapter
information is offered concerning the means whereby spiritual and mental forces
may be evoked and, with angelic co-operation, radiated upon the world. Such
knowledge may be used both for evil and for good. All selfish use of spiritual
power is evil. Occult activity for material self-benefit, with the deliberately
chosen motive of personal advantage, is black magic. Misery inevitably follows
its practice. The employment of spiritual and mental powers for the welfare of
all mankind, withput thought of return, is white magic and brings blessings to
the world. May those who read on be inspired to use imperson­ally,
dispassionately and solely for the welfare of the race the knowledge conveyed
in this Chapter.

The mind and brain of man are powerful mental radio stations. Thought
moulds not only the character of the thinker, but also that of all recipients
of mental broad­casting. The impress produced by the thought of man upon fellow
man helps to form individual and national characteristics, and influences both
human destiny and the progress of civilisation. So intimate and unceasing is
this psychical interaction, that all share in the achievements of each, whilst
at the same time few can wholly dissociate themselves from responsibility for
the widespread ugliness, cruelty and crime
which are the curse of this planet. For these last are the products of ugly,
cruel and criminal thoughts.[114]

When people combine in
groups, their power to influence mentally the thought, character and conduct of
others is multiplied. The tremendous potentiality for good of groups of
dedicated and trained servants of the race who combine to use their thought
power for beneficent purposes at once becomes obvious; for service of
incalculable value could be performed by such groups. In this work, unity of
both purpose and method is of supreme importance. The existence and maintenance
of perfect harmony between the members of such groups is essential; for discord
would be accentuated by the play of the forces generated and evoked. There must
also be wise direction and careful choice of both leaders and members of
thought-projection groups.

The ideas to be projected
must be selected with great care. Unquestionable and unchanging truths alone
may be safely broadcast; for every truth has behind and within it its own
spiritual force. Every philosophic verity is a power as well as an idea.
Thought upon a truth taps the power of that truth. Thought-projection by mental
affirmation and verbal expression of a truth liberates that power. Ideas
selected for projection must therefore subscribe to at least three rules. They
must be basically true, non-compulsive (being sent out as offerings only) and
wholly beneficent in their influence. In addition, to produce the maximum
effect, they must be conceived and affirmed impersonally and with complete
clarity.

Members of
thought-projection groups should therefore be spiritually minded people, moved
solely by a sincere aspiration to serve. They must be capable of impersonal
eifort in which they have no leading part, being ready, once a trusted leader
has been appointed, completely to subordi­nate the personality. They must also
be capable of clear thought, sustained concentration and powerful mental
affirmation. They should not be mediumistic, unduly negative and passive people
being unsuitable for this kind of work. The seeing of visions during supposed
meditation, response to presences, desire to describe them and a general
concern with personal psychism, are inadvisable in members of groups organised
solely for positive and impersonal activity. Members must also be able to meet
regularly and consistently for group work, and to maintain silence; for such
work loses power when indiscriminately discussed.

The co-operation of the
Angelic Hosts can be of the greatest value in such activities. Again a warning
must be given; for two dangers exist. One of these is that faith in and
attempted co-operation with the angels might degenerate into mere superstition
and self-deceit. Against this, the experimenter must ever be on guard, being
above all things a realist with a severely practical mind. The other danger is
that heightened mental power and glimpses of the co­operating Intelligences
might produce the illusion of the receipt of personal favours, and so lead to
the evil of pride. Perpetually preserved impersonality and humility are the
safeguards against this second danger. Since the Angelic Hosts are the
embodiment of impersonality, universality of mind is necessary for man to be en rapport with them. Only as man universalises his consciousness can
he enter the King­dom of the Gods.

Angels are associated
with the Power, Light and Life aspects of Nature. When Power is evoked from the
Universal Source, focused by man’s mind into a stream and then impersonally and
accurately directed into a chosen field the Angelic Hosts are provided with
suitable conditions for their natural activities. One of these is to conserve,
direct and employ as a “tool” the energy of cosmic electricity. This force can
be tapped and released at spiritual, mental and psychical levels. The will and
mind of man, conjoined as in thought projection, both impress this energy with
a mental characteristic and direct it into chosen fields. As the power goes
forth on its mission, it must be carefully conserved and accurately directed if
it is to produce its greatest effect upon receptive minds.

If their co-operation can
be obtained, the angels associate themselves intimately with this focused current
of force, con­serve it against loss in transit and rapid dissipation on arrival
and apply it with maximum effectiveness. Clarity of thought and keenness of
concentration in the human operators are, however, still essential to success.

SUN RITUALS

In addition to this
purely mental method of co-operation, bodily posture, gesture and movement, and
colour and words, used with concentrated will-thought in simple ceremonial may,
for certain temperaments, facilitate the process of collab­oration with the Angelic
Hosts. Such Rituals may be employed to evoke beneficent forces and distribute
them upon the world.

Some thirty people
recently participated in this method in the open-air in New Zealand. The ladies
wore flowing Grecian dresses with long sleeves, and sashes and head bands
coloured according to the nature of the influence to be invoked and radiated.
The men were dressed in white flannels and wore similarly coloured sashes.
Orange, blue, green and rose were used in rituals invoking and radiating power,
purity, healing and love respectively.

The participants marched
out upon a large lawn and stood facing inwards in three concentric circles,
with a flaming brazier in.the centre. They then began each of the four Rituals
by saying together, slowly and with full intent:

“I dedicate myself as a channel for spiritual power
(purity, healing, love in successive ceremonies) to the world. I salute the
Angelic Hosts.”

With arms raised above
the head and eyes turned upwards:

“In reverence I invoke spiritual power (purity, healing,
love) from our Lord the Sun. I invoke the co-operation of the Angelic Hosts.”

Walking outwards for four
paces, the participants, with utmost concentration and in co-operation with the
Angelic Hosts, mentally directed the invoked power upon the world. Arms were
then lowered to sides, with the words:

“Peace, peace, peace.”

Turning inwards, all
raised and joined their hands at the throat, bowed their heads and said in
unison:

“Homage and gratitude to the Source of Light. Greetings and
gratitude to the Angelic Hosts.”

Hands were then lowered
and the Ritual was brought to a close. A leader gave the time for all the
movements and choral speaking, both of which had been carefully practised.

These Rituals were based
upon ideas suggested to me by the angel who inspired my book, The Angelic Hosts. Sun Rituals are therein described somewhat as follows:

For the worship of the
Spiritual Sun no other temples are needed than the free and open places of the
world, the sunlit mountain-tops and plains, the fair valleys, and the open
fields, the woods, the meadows and the hills. Withdraw yourselves from every
artificial form and draw near to Nature’s heart. Assemble, as the angels do, in
companies inspired with but a single aim—the worship of the sun. March in
stately processions, practise Rituals, engage in joyful dances, chant splendid
litanies expressive of the glories of Our Lord the Sun. Standing in circles, in
imitation of His glorious form, raise your open hands to the sky. Pour forth
your love, your worship and your praise, acknowledging Him as Lord of all your
lives.

Invoke His presence, His
power and His life into your midst. Build, by your united thought and
aspiration, a chalice to receive the wine of His ever outpoured life. That
precious wine shall fill the cup, shall flow into your hearts and lives, and
charge you with the power and the splendour of the sun. Your souls shall be
irradiated by His light, your wills become resistless with His power, and your
hearts be filled to overflowing with His love.

Thus illumined and
refreshed, turn your faces outwards, stretch forth your hands and, with
concentrated will, pour out His power and His blessing upon the world. The
circle shall become like a sun; for His glowing splendour shall descend among
you and effulgent beams shall shine through you to bless, quicken and bring
peace to all your world.

With united wills and
overflowing hearts, mentally flood all your world with the power of the sun.
Thereafter turn your thoughts upwards in gratitude and reverence to the Power’s
Source. Close the Ritual by walking slowly out­wards from the centre, forming,
as all move together, the symbol of His outpoured light and life and love.

Graceful flowing robes in
the colours of His spectrum may be worn and the wearers so arranged that His
glorious hues may best be displayed. Patterns may be formed with solid blocks
of colour, long straight lances, interwoven and blended lines and circular
arrangements of the different shades in imitation of His rays. Artists shall
design the robes and Rituals. Musicians shall compose the music for the chants,
odes, hymns and litanies which poets shall write. So may the worship of Our
Lord the Sun be once more established on your earth and His kingdom be made
manifest among the nations of the world.

*****

Collaboration between
angels and men is also enjoined by its angel inspirer in my book The Brotherhood of Angels and of Men. There it is written:

“Angels and men, two
branches of the family of God, may be drawn into close communion and
co-operation, the chief purpose of which would be to uplift the human race. To
this end the angels on their side are ready to participate as closely as
possible in every department of human life and in every human activity in which
co-operation is practicable. Those members of the human race who will throw
open heart and mind to their angelic brethren, will find an immediate response
and a gradually increasing conviction of its reality.

“While the angels make no
conditions and impose no restrictions upon the activities and developments
resulting from co-operation, they assume that no human brother would invoke
them for personal and material gain. They ask for the acceptance of the motto
of the Brotherhood (of angels and of men)-The Highest [115]—and its practical application to every aspect of human
life. They ask those who would invoke their presence to develop the qualities
of purity, simpli­city,
directness and impersonality, and to acquire knowledge of the Great Plan whereby the
ordered march of evolutionary progress is maintained. In this way every human
activity will be founded upon the teachings and doctrines of that Divine and
Ancient Wisdom which has always reigned supreme in the councils of the Angelic
Hosts.”

THE fifth part of this
book consists of Miss Quail’s striking pictures and my remarks upon them. As
she has painted them to my descriptions, she is responsible only for their
execution, not for their composition, colouring or form.

Appropriate portrayal of
the appearance of the Gods is, in fact, impossible through the medium of paint
applied to a plane surface. Coloured light or fire moving in three dimen­sions
would be needed to produce the effect of intense brilliance, translucence,
delicacy and constant motion characteristic of the radiant forms and shining
aura of the Gods. Despite especial care and repeated observation, ex­actitude
of description of these beings is almost impossible to one of my limited
clairvoyant faculty. The continual changes in the colours and their
arrangement, in the direction of the flow of auric forces and in the varying
patterns produced, make accuracy exceedingly difficult.

At least two differing
conditions of the auras of the Gods are discernible, one of expansion and the
other of contraction. In expansion, the attention is outward-turned upon the
divine Life and Mind in Nature. The aura is then greatly extended outwards from
the central form and frequently, also, from behind in three-dimensional,
wing-shaped radiations. In this phase, the component forces are flowing at
their full power, which produces a great brilliance throughout the whole aura
and a dazzling brightness at the various force-centres or wheels. In
contraction, the attention of the God is directed towards the source of all
Life and Power. The aura then becomes relatively quiescent and, with the
exception of the radiations above the head which may increase in both dimen­sion
and brilliance, is much reduced in size. Examples of both of these phases are
included in the accompanying pictures, although most of them represent that of
expansion. The texture or grain of the aura is exceedingly fine and, despite
Miss Quail’s splendid achievement, has so far proved impos­sible of perfect
portrayal. There are various layers of force within this aura, each with its
own hues and direction of flow. The general effect is of brilliantly coloured,
three-dimensional, shot moire silk, composed of flowing forces rather than sub­stance
and in constant, wavelike motion. Through this in many cases, from within
outwards, streams of radiant energy, often white and of dazzling brightness,
are continually flashing.

The direction of the flow
of these auric currents is generally upwards and outwards from force-centres in
the middle of the head and at the brow, the throat and the region of the solar
plexus. Outlining the central form there is also a fine radiation, usually
white or golden in colour. The head is nearly always crowned by upward-flowing,
flame-like forces, which bestow upon the more highly-evolved Gods an appearance
of regal splendour. For the most part, the uni­versal energies for which the
Gods are agents and directors descend from above the head and flow through the
aura, greatly increasing its electric quality and brilliance. Other energies
appear to arise directly within the body and chakras, as if from higher dimensions. As stated earlier, one
function of the Gods appears to be to transform, in the electrical sense, these
forces by means of the resistance offered by their bodies and by passage
through their force-centres. Two of the results produced by this procedure are
the transmission of spiritualising force into the substance of the lower planes
of Nature down to the physical and the passing on of great currents of “stepped
down “energy for the use of the angels and nature spirits in their various
tasks upon these planes. Matter itself thus gradually becomes increasingly
charged with spirit and so more malleable and responsive to con­sciousness and
the forms of Nature gradually resemble more nearly the archetypal ideal.

According to occult philosophy,
the superphysical worlds, which are the abodes of the Gods, consist of matter
of increasing tenuity of substance ranging from the density of the finest ether
up to the rarest and most spiritualised condi­tion. These are six in number and
each has its own inhabitants, human and angelic. In terms of human aware­ness
in them, these planes may be called the emotional, the mental, the intuitional
and that of the spiritual will. Above these four, but at present beyond the
range of normal human awareness, are two others which will be entered by later
races of men more highly evolved than ourselves.

The planes of Nature,
seven in number if the physical be included, and each consisting of seven
sub-planes, inter­penetrate each other, each more subtle plane also extending
much further beyond the surface of the earth than those below it in terms of
density. They are of two orders, called the form and the formless worlds. The
form worlds, in one classification, consist of the physical, emotional and four
lower sub-planes of the mental plane. They are so called because in them form
predominates over force and rhythm. The bodies in these worlds tend to be
concrete and objective, with relatively clear-cut edges, particularly at the
physical and mental levels. The formless worlds, which consist of the three
higher sub-planes of the mental plane and those of intuition and spiritual
will, are so called because in them life and rhythm predominate and form is
reduced to its essence or Archetype.

The illustrations
represent Gods inhabiting both of these groups of worlds. In the formless,
where auras predominate over bodies, they appear as glowing centres of power
sur­rounded by outflowing energies of many hues, almost veiling the form
within. In the form worlds, the suggestion of bodily shape is greater, though
here also, the shining aura frequently conceals the lordly and the beautiful
form. For this reason the outer auras have been omitted from many of the
pictures. In all cases, it should be remembered, the Greater Gods are
surrounded by far-flung auras of many brilliant hues.

As far as my experience goes, variations of this type of primitive
sea fairy are commonly to be seen skimming the surface of the oceans and the
lakes of the world. Relatively undeveloped, the sea nature spirit has as yet
little or no form. There is a rudimentary head which is the seat of conscious­ness,
whilst a current of streaming white force suggests a body and a wing. More
complex examples, with two or even more wing forms, are also to be seen.

These creatures fly about the surface of the oceans in innumerable
hosts. Sometimes they rise high into the air; at others they plunge into the
water to reappear in a few moments in a flash of white light, catching the eye
with its brilliance. After a moment’s concentration required to focus the
appropriate power of vision, the swiftly moving, bird-like form appears to the
observer, somewhat as painted by Miss Quail. The distance from head to tip of
wing would vary from three to twelve feet, according to phase of manifestation
and stage of evolution.

The sea nature spirit evolves into the type of
sea sylph here portrayed. This example has reached individualisation and, with
countless similar and different beings, may be seen in the upper air, chiefly
above the seas. The average height of the central form at this level of
evolution would be from ten to fifteen feet.

This is one of the many types of non-individualised sylphs
commonly to be seen in the air over the land. It is in swift motion, with shining
inner aura streaming in beauti­ful, wing-like shapes behind and above it.

Interpenetrating and extending beyond the form and aura here
portrayed are the finer radiations, not shown on the Plate, characteristic of
every member of the Angelic Hosts. They are generally ovoid, composed of many
brilliant hues, and extend for several yards on every side of the beautiful
form within.

The orange sylph is possibly associated with the solar life-force
or prana[116] with which the air is
charged, and which constitutes the vitality of all organic forms. The height of
the central figure of the sylph is about five feet.

Whilst the building Orders of the Gods play all impor­tant parts
in solar and planetary creative processes, another Order is concerned with the
evolution of consciousness within the form. This ministration to the evolving
life in the mineral kingdom is considered in Part II, Chapter I. Trees and
forests also receive similar assistance, the classical concept of the dryad of
the trees being founded upon fact. Nearly all well- grown trees have attached
to them, in addition to innumerable nature spirit builders, an advanced nature
spirit or a God which throughout its life remains within or linked to the
astro- etheric double and the aura of the tree. The presence of such a being,
through the constant play of its thoughts and auric energies, greatly quickens
the evolution of tree life and con­sciousness. Such nature spirits and Gods are
subordinate to more advanced beings in charge of groups of trees of the same
genus, as are found in large woods, forests and jungles.

As an aid to comprehension of the effect of the presence of nature
spirits and Gods upon the consciousness in mineral and plant kingdoms, one may
think of a bowl of still water as representing the sleeping group consciousness
of hill or mountain, plant or tree. Goldfish placed in this bowl would by their
movements keep the water in continual motion, and this is in part the effect
produced upon mineral and plant consciousness by the presence and play of the
thought and auric forces of nature spirits and Gods.

Quaint, animal-headed nature spirits were found
embed­ded within the trunks of well-grown tree ferns in the jungles on some of
the mountains of Malaya and Ceylon. They were quite primitive beings, with
little or no external aware­ness. Indeed, they gave the impression of being
fast asleep. The plant growth and reproductive processes would be felt by them
as faint stimuli, for they are growing with the trees, being intimately
associated with their cell life and consciousness.

The tree fern God here portrayed was observed
over the jungle in the mountain district of Ceylon, near Newara Eliya. Such a
being assists the evolution of form and the unfoldment of consciousness of a
very large number of tree ferns. It is of interest to observe that the patterns
formed by the flow of the lines of force in the aura of this God reproduce
within it certain of the tree fern forms. An explanation of this is suggested
in the description accompanying Plates 13 and 14.

The central form of this being is some fifty feet
tall. The aura, however, is capable of extension for at least one hundred yards
in all directions and was thus expanded when first seen high in the air, about
a mile away. In the picture the outer aura is omitted and the inner aura is
shown in phase of contraction, as when the God graciously hovered for a few
minutes of mentalcommunion. Through both form and aura currents of force,
presumably from the tree fern Arche­type, play down into successive areas of
the jungle as the God moves above its domain and ministers to its charges.

This being was observed in association with groups of stone pines
in the Cape Peninsula, South Africa. As the picture shows, the colouring and
the lines of force in the inner aura—the outer is omitted—suggest somewhat the
needle­like foliage of the pine. Many well-grown pines were found to have their
own tree God resembling the one here portrayed, but smaller in size and lower
in evolution. The stature of this God is about thirty feet.

This sixteen-year-old Waringan tree grows in a garden in Madioen,
in the Island of Java. It was planted by the lady of the house, who became much
attached to it and felt it to be a living, conscious being from whom, she
assured me, she received a sense of friendliness and rest.

When taking tea beneath its welcome shade, I became aware of the
presence of this delightful tree nature spirit or dryad. I found it to be
approaching individualisation, or evolution out of group into individualised
consciousness,[117] and to be well aware of
the affection of the owner of the tree and responsive to it, which would
beneficially affect its devel­opment. This nature spirit is approximately five
feet tall.

Here is portrayed a mountain God intimately associated with the
element of fire. It was observed at Loskop Moun­tain, near Harrismith in the
Orange Free State, South Africa. The remarkable arrangement of the auric forces
and the brilliant colouring are unique in my experience. Both are well portrayed
in this fine example of Miss Quail’s art. The central figure at the time of
observation was partly within the mountain and some fifty feet tall. A greatly
extended outer aura, here omitted, shone with similar but more delicate hues

This being was observed in the Drakensberg Range
in Natal. Two of the most striking features were the remark­able mitre-like
effect produced by the uprush of forces from the head and shoulders and the
brilliant, four-funnelled force-centres in the region of the solar plexus
through which power was flowing into the mountain below. The axes of the
rapidly spinning funnels formed an equal-armed cross, the arms of which met
within the form of the God and pointed forwards, backwards, to the right and to
the left. In this picture the effect of translucency, characteristic of the
appear­ance of all the Gods, is well portrayed. In the process, however, the
impression of the tremendous power of the God and of the passage through it at
high voltage of mighty forces from above, also of brilliance and radiance, is
perhaps, not conveyed quite so adequately as in other pictures.

Watching this God throughout successive days, I
was reminded constantly of the vision of Ezekiel1 .Certain currents
in its aura were arranged in the shape of upward- pointing wings, far more
three-dimensional than any picture could suggest. The chakras received and compressed
the descending forces, which were then directed into the mountain below. The
central form in this case is at least sixty feet tall and it is one of the most
majestic and-splendid members of this Order of the Angelic Hosts that I have
ever been privileged to behold.

This God
was also observed in the Drakensberg Range in Natal, presiding over the region
known as the Amphi­theatre at Mont aux Sources. I have more than once received evidence
of similarity of type and appearance in the various Gods of one mountain range.
Comparison with Plate 9 reveals a similarity between the two Gods of the
Drakensberg Range. In both of them the wing-like radiations and the intensely
brilliant, vertical force-centres or “wheels” were noticeably common
characteristics. The God is shown in phase of expansion, the auric wings
extending at least half a mile from tip to tip, whilst the outflowing and
descending energies have a very much greater range. In this picture, part of
the outer aura is included. The central form is at least sixty feet tall.

This picture portrays the presiding God of a mountain range, which
was observed high above one of the peaks of the Hottentots Hollands Mountains
in Cape Province, South Africa. As I observed and gave my description to the
artist, the downflow of power was so great and so brilliant as almost to
conceal the form and aura of the God. The chief colours shown were lavender,
gold and white, the central form of the God and the aura immediately
surrounding it shining in those hues with a dazzling radiance quite impossible
to reproduce. The uprush of golden-coloured, fiery power above the head was
particularly brilliant, bestowing upon the God the appear­ance of a majestic DevaKing wearing a crown of flames. In all cases of devic direction of natural energies, however prodigious the outpouring
of power may be, the God always gives the impression of complete mastery of the
forces flowing through and all about it. The central figure is at least eighty
feet tall.

This God
was observed at one of the mountain peaks of the Table Mountain Range in the
Cape Peninsula, South Africa. Evidently it has close affinity with the element
of fire. The picture shows the inner aura and form alone and in phase of
contraction, during which it is drawing into itself universal fire-power. This
it directs in a concentrated stream, as an awakening force, into the mineral life
and consciousness indwelling in the mountain below.

The
upward-flowing streams above the head were en­larged into a cup or bowl of
flame, reaching high into the heavens. Fiery energy was playing down into this
auric chalice, from which it passed through the form in great sheets, streams
and flashes into the surrounding atmosphere and the mountain below.

In phase
of expansion, the God presented the most magnificent appearance. The auric
forces then resembled tongues of flame shooting out for hundreds of yards on
every side, as if he stood in the midst of a mighty conflagration. The central
figure is about sixty feet tall.

This God
was observed in the Cape Peninsula, near the eminence known as Castle Rock,
high above the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Apparently the establishment of
the Gardens in this area has offered it an opportunity of extend­ing its
operations beyond the mineral and bush consciousness and forms of the mountain
into those of the many wild and cultivated flowering plants; for when, studying
it for the pur­pose of these pictures, I noticed that its beautiful lavender
and green aura was frequently extended in a great sweep of force to include the
whole of the Gardens.

The
creative energy then flowing through the aura of the God produced within it the
geometrical mental forms upon which the shapes of the plants and flowers are
founded. This specialisation and intensification, explained in Part I, Chapter
III, augments the form-producing capacity of the universal, creative power and
thought. Plant devas and nature spirits similarly receive these forces, further
specialis­ing them and increasing their power accurately to reproduce in etheric
and physical matter the plant forms conceived of by the Major Mind.

The High
Gods and their individualised subordinates perform this work deliberately and
self-consciously as servants of the One Will. Nature spirits serve
instinctively in response to impulses natural to them, strengthened on occasion
by their deva superiors. The ultra-microscopic builders and the larger nature
spirits perform their share in this creative process quite unconsciously. They
play with and among the creative forces and the forms which they produce
primarily in etheric matter. Their play is, however, quite purposeful, though
they are unaware of the fact, for their movements cut lines of force in the
ether which mark out the areas and centres of molecular, and later cell formation.
All these processes and activities occur within the consciousness of the
presiding God.

The
second, profile picture shows in part the arrangement of the inner auric forces
of the mountain God, the stature of which is about sixty feet. The outer aura
is omitted.

In this picture an attempt is made to portray the second of the
two Gods of the Sierra Nevadas in California, referred to in Part II, Chapter
I.

In order to show the concentric arrangement, the colour­ing and
the dazzling whiteness of the outer sphere, a cross section has been taken
through the centre of the aura. The devic form is
approximately fifty feet tall.

This very great being is the presiding deva
of an area of the Cape Province, South Africa, covering many thousands of
square miles. It is stationed high above the region im­mediately to the north
of the Karoo Desert, its sphere of influence extending to the coast where, at
certain of the Capes, landscape deMas
are established. Natural forces from the South Pole and Antarctic continent
flow northwards into South Africa, and doubtless other continents in the
Southern Hemisphere. These Gods assist both the development of form and the
awakening of consciousness in the mineral kingdom of the desert, plains and
mountains of their region and at the same time conserve and direct the forces
from the Pole.

Ambassadorial Gods were also perceived moving
between the Antarctic and South Africa, whilst others maintained relations
between the God here pictured and those of the mountains, jungles, deserts and
plains to the North. On many occasions I have become aware of the operation of
a system of devic inter-communication maintained
by travelling Gods, who visit those stationed at important continental regions
of the globe.

As indicated in Part II, Chapter II, I have
received evi­dence of the existence of a great planetary, landscape God, so
mighty as to be able to hold the whole Earth within its consciousness, a DevaKing
of the physical world. I have also
observed the radiation from the centre and surface of the Earth out into
interplanetary space of very powerful, natural energies. In addition, from the
sun and the planets, and possibly from outer space, great forces reach the
globe, as if the Earth were being subjected to a perpetual inflow of power.
Moving amidst these interchanged forces, planetary and extra-planetary, Gods of
power, like devic engineers, are to be seen. As in the case of the
landscape God here portrayed, they appear to be responsible for the reception,
specialisation and re-direction of these energies. This God is at least one
hundred feet tall, whilst its auric forces are capable of extension to a
distance of a great many miles.

An exposition of creative processes, in which gold is used as an
example, and the Gods of Gold are described, is to be found in Part I, Chapter
III. This picture, whilst an accurate reproduction of my description, somewhat
too much suggests human femininity. The descending gold-creative energies,'the
brilliant gold points or centres of force in the aura and the smooth, rhythmic
flow characteristic of the force aspect of gold are, nevertheless, well
portrayed. The lateral extension of the auras of these Gods was less than
usual. The vertical extension, on the other hand, was im­mense, reaching from
some two hundred feet in the air to at least the same distance below the surface
of the veldt, whilst the actual gold-producing force played on down to the
reef, in some cases six thousand or more feet below.

The central figure was unusually small for such an auric
extension, being in this case little more than eight or ten feet tall. The
presiding God of the Gold Reef is, however, colossal in stature.

This magnificent ocean God was observed from the south coast of
Java. Apparently it is the ruling deva of the great
area of the Pacific Ocean which extends from Java to Australia. At the higher
mental level it is relatively form­less, as here portrayed, though the unusual,
pointed, oval shape produced by the flowing streams of its auric forces was
clearly discernible. As the picture shows, great currents of power descend upon
this sea God, are compressed within its aura and then released into the ocean
beneath.

These forces are both creative and energising. All atomic and
molecular patterns, and the forms of marine vegetation and of fish and their
shells, are in part a product of these descending, creative energies. The sea
God also directs powerful currents of quickening energy into the con­sciousness
incarnate in every atom of the sea water and in the forms of the mineral, the
marine plant and the fish kingdoms.

This being is subordinate to a still greater God, responsi­ble for
the whole Pacific Ocean, in its turn a Vice-regent of the planetary sea God,
which performs similar functions (and doubtless many others as yet unknown to
me) for the life and consciousness of the oceans of the world. The God here
presented is similarly assisted by great hosts of subordi­nates in a descending
scale of evolutionary stature, the more advanced of whom resemble it in
appearance.

At
the lower mental and emotional levels these Gods assume concrete shape and
operate in oppositely polarised pairs. Thus, although there is no sex in the
Kingdom of the Gods, the appearance of male or female or deva and devi is sometimes suggested
according to preponderant polarity. Beneath these in evolution are the
non-individualised sea nature spirits, and below them again the primitive
beings portrayed in Plate 1.

Under
the seas, different types of Gods and nature spirits are to be observed. On
occasion I have seen huge, whale­like, etheric monsters drifting about somewhat
aimlessly in the great depths. The Kingdom of the Sea is indeed a densely
populated empire. It is presided over—chiefly, it would seem, from above the
surface—by a very great being, the planetary God of the Sea.

Occasionally
the deva portrayed in Plate 18
descends to the “form “worlds, assuming there a definite shape some­what .as
shown. Thus seen, it resembles some splendid Sea God from classical mythology,
riding the waves upon a shell-like car.

The
flowing curves of the aura resemble those of a shell and doubtless are partly
produced by the passage through the God of creative energies expressive of the
divine thought or Archetype of the shell form. In the higher worlds the God is
of immense stature. In the lower, the central form is some thirty feet tall.

True music is a temporary, physical expression of the sound of the
ever-uttered “Word”. Throughout creative Day, the Great Breath is breathed upon
the Great Deep, which responds as an aeolian harp of myriad, vibrant strings.
As creative Night draws near, the Great Breath is breathed in. Thereafter
silence reigns within the Great Deep.

The Monads of living beings are as breaths in the Great Breath.
When at the dawn of creative Day the Voice first speaks, the innumerable lesser
breaths contribute the com­ponent notes of the creative chord, which is the “Word”.
When at creative Eve the Voice is stilled, the lesser voices die away.
Thereafter silence broods upon the face of the Deep.

Thus behind and within material universes creative sound subsists,
that celestial symphony of which Nature’s forms are a physical expression. The “Word”
itself exists in two phases, the pre-Cosmic and the Cosmic, the silent and the
uttered. When “spoken”, the “Word” creates and releases the divinest harmonies
and upon these, as dynamic Archetypes, the universe is built.

When the one creative Voice begins to speak, the ten divine
Intelligences, the Archangels of the Sephiroth, the first manifested Lords of
Light, hear and perfectly express the “Word”. This, as creative sound, they
transmit throughout the new-born universe. Thereafter, the myriad.

Hosts of the Logos receive and re-express the music of the “Word “in
worlds of growing density.

Thus the Kingdom of Music is established, the citizens of which
are the Spiritual Selves of angels and of men. In this Kingdom vast hosts of
Archangels and angels re-echo the harmonies of the creative “Word”, thereby
aiding in the construction of the first, archetypal, sound-built forms. Each of
these beings is perpetually resonant with the com­ponent chords and notes of
the basic theme of the universe, its idea-motif.

The loftiest Archangels first embody and re-sound the glorious
harmonies of the “Word”, which are then relayed by their immediate successors
in the hierarchical Order. Thence this wondrous music descends through
successive ranks of shining beings, until the lower worlds of form are reached.
There, too, the Angel Lords of mental and emo­tional realms re-echo the
creative “Word”. Lesser angels and their younger brethren, the nature spirits,
answer to the song, and by them the densest, material world is built accord­ing
to the “Word”.

An Angel of Music, or Gandharvaas
it is known in Hinduism, is here depicted not as a portrait but as a type of
celestial musician, the inner form only being shown.

The
six pictures which follow portray angels who are associated with aspects of
divine consciousness, rather than with currents of creative Life-force and the
mineral and plant kingdoms of Nature. Rose angels, such as the one here
portrayed, may be thought of as incarnations of divine wisdom and love,
qualities which bring them into intimate contact with the Immortal Selves or
Egos of men. Association with such beings is indeed a privilege and their
co-operation in the service of humanity can be of the greatest value.

The
second picture is an attempt at portraiture. This closer view shows the various
force centres. Those in the head are seen to radiate from a common centre,
upward through the crown and forward through the eyes. As stated in the opening
paragraphs of this fifth part of the book, no static medium, however skilfully
used, can possibly convey the delicacy, the glowing radiance, the translucence,
which contribute to the general effect of the intense brilliance and the
supernal beauty characteristic of the Angelic Hosts. This is especially true of
the ethereal, radiant, angelic incarnation of divine love portrayed in these
two Plates. The large and glowing aura, chiefly rose, crimson and gold in
colour, has been deliberately omitted from both pictures in order that the
graceful central form, normally somewhat veiled within it, may clearly be seen.

When,
in the performance of certain Rituals of Free­masonry and those described in
Part IV, Chapter III, the power and influence of divine love are invoked and
poured forth with angelic aid upon the world, angels of this Order would be
likely to respond to the invocation and co-operate in the distribution of the
power and its application to general and individual needs. This particular rose
angel is some twelve feet tall.

These
pictures portray three different types of angels engaged in their healing
ministry. The general method is first to direct streams of purifying energy
into and through the aura of the sufferer, in order to disperse congestions in
the etheric and emotional bodies especially and to drive out harmful
substances. They then re-attune the chord or “Word “of the individual, usually
dissonant in the psyche during ill-health, and try to restore the harmonious and rhyth­mic
flow of the inner Life-forces throughout the mental, emotional and physical
nature. Finally, they invoke divine healing power which flows through their
auras, as well as directly from its Source, into the patients, affecting them
locally or generally, or both, according to the needs of the case.

Such
ministrations are far more effective when man consciously invokes and
co-operates with the healing angels. A successful method of spiritual healing
with angelic co­operation consists of dwelling in concentrated thought upon the
Lord Christ[118], the great Healer of the
World, reverently entering His presence in thought and seeking to touch the “hem
of His garment”, which means the fringe of His con­sciousness. The sufferer is
then drawn mentally into His Presence, being visualised as radiantly healthy
and flooded throughout his whole nature with the golden, glowing, healing Life
of God, as portrayed in these pictures. The following or similar prayer may
then be uttered with powerful intent and a pause between each sentence:

“May the healing power of the Lord Christ
descend upon (Christian and surnames of the selected suppliants). May the healing
angels encom­pass them”

After a pause of some minutes, during which the thought is
powerful yet reverently centred upon the Lord Christ, His outpoured healing
power and the healing angels, the meditation may be closed with the words:

“May the light of His love enfold them
forever, Amen”

Healing angels have been found to be continuing their ministering
function for at least twenty-four hours after such an invocation. Regular
practice by this or similar methods will quickly demonstrate the efficacy of
angelic co-operation in spiritual healing. Those who participate are warned
against the exercise of personal will in order to attain desired results. Once
the healing power has been invoked, always with the fullest faith, the results
should be left to the karmaand evolutionary needs of
the individuals. When there is a strong desire that some loved one should be
healed, surrender to the divine Will and the great Law should be expressed in
such words as “according to the Will of God “or “as may be most expedient for
them”.

The occultist learns to work without thought of results. As said
in Part IV, Chapter III, in no circumstances should he use his will power and
occult knowledge to obtain by force, personal, material benefits for himself or
for others. Such would be grey, if not black magic, the error into which Judas
fell in selling his Lord for thirty pieces of silver. As Judas died by his own
hand, so all who fall into this same error are in danger of a form of spiritual
suicide.

A
remarkable Buddhist Shrine, known as the Borobudor, was built in the island of
Java, some eight hundred years ago. This is an immense stone structure, with
scenes from the life of the Lord Buddha beautifully carved on the sides of the
four great galleries. This Shrine has become a place of pil­grimage and is
regarded by many as a centre of spiritual power. Investigation revealed the
presence of a very great presiding Angel, conserver and distributor of the
power of the Shrine and source of potent spiritual forces which flow over the
island of Java and the surrounding seas.

The
height of the central figure is probably from twelve to fifteen feet, but in
the case of an Ego which attained Adept- ship as man and then transferred to
the Angelic Kingdom, the height of the body is not an indication of spiritual
stature.

According
to one view, kundalini—also called the Serpent Fire—is the power of giving or
transmitting Life. Prana— known physically as vitality—is the power of organising Life. Fohat—known physically as
electricity—is the power of using and manipulating Life. These three cosmic
forces of the Third, Second and First Aspects of the Logos respectively are
present as ensouling energies of all substances on every plane of Nature. Fohat is the universal
constructive Force of Cosmic Electricity and the ultimate hidden power in this
universe, the power which charges a universe with Life, with Spirit; it is
described as the Will and the Mind, the very Self, of God. This supreme force
is in all creatures. When specialised and enclosed within the spinal cord of
man it is called kundalini or the power that moves in a serpentine path; hence its other
name the Serpent Fire, in man, it is sheathed with care, but man must learn to
set it free; for it is the God in him, without which he would cease to be.

Kundalini is in essence creative and,
though as yet but slightly aroused, with all other forces and powers of Nature,
is represented in the physical body of man. There, at this period of human
evolution, it manifests itself as the source of both the sex impulse and the
nerve fluid. It resides, coiled serpentlike, in the sacral chakra or “wheel “at the base of
the spine, which in its turn is a relay station for the similarly coiled up
energy in the centre of the Earth, itself a storehouse of solar kundalini.

When
fully aroused, either by yoga or as a natural result of evolutionary progress, kundalini flows up an etheric canal
in the spinal cord called the sushumna nadi, passing through each of the other chakras on its journey. As it
passes through the spinal centres in which the chakras arise, some of its force
flows down the axis of the funnel of each, vivifying it occultly and thereby
awakening the individual to self-conscious aware­ness in the superphysical
worlds.

When
kundalini touches the spleen centre,
it gives the power of travelling at will on the astral plane whilst away from
the physical body. When it touches and opens the heart centre, the forces of
the Buddhic or Christ conscious­ness in man resident in the vehicle of
intuition,[119] if sufficiently unfolded,
begin to flow through the neophyte at the physical level and the “mystic rose” —the
heart chakra—” blooms “upon his breast.
The powers of the Christ consciousness— knowledge of the oneness of life,
direct, intuitive spiritual perception, wisdom and a profound compassion—then
begin to manifest themselves through thought and word and deed. The throat
centre, when vivified, bestows the power of clair- audience, or of responding
to superphysical sound vibrations as well as to those physical sounds which are
beyond the normal auditory range. The brow centre, when occultly vitalised,
bestows the faculty of clairvoyance and when the coronal chakra is opened, the neophyte
acquires the faculties of using superphysical awareness whilst still awake in
the physical body and of leaving and returning to the body at will without any
break in consciousness.

As kundalini rises up the sushumna nadi it is accompanied by two
complementary forces, one positive and the other negative. Each of these flows
along its own canal in the spinal cord, sometimes called pingala and ida respectively, though these names are
also given to the forces themselves. These two oppositely polarised, akashic[120] forces meet and cross at
each of the chakrasas they rise, and finally pass, one of
which in consequence becomes hypersensitive.[121]They then function somewhat
as do the valves or the amplifiers of a radio receiving set, thereby enabling
consciousness within the brain to pick up superphysical forces and become aware
of superphysical phenomena. Indeed, the cerebro-spinal system of man, when
occultly vivified, resembles in many respects a television receiving set. One
difference, however, is that superphysical broadcasts are projected upon the
screen of the mind-brain, and are clairvoyantly perceived. The full
manifestation of these occult faculties during waking con­sciousness demands a
long and ardous training, and depends upon the complete vivification of the
pituitary and pineal glands by means of kundalini and its complementary
forces.

In the paths followed by these three currents one recog­nises the
caduceus, the staff of the God Hermes, consisting of a rod around which two
serpents are coiled, a winged sphere crowning the symbol. Kundalini ascending the sushumna nacdi is represented by the
rod, and the forces flowing along ida and pingala by the two serpents, whilst the winged sphere symbolises in part
the freed soul of the man who has awakened and learned to use these hidden
powers. Such a man does indeed become as a Hermes, a messenger from heaven to
earth; for he ranges free in the higher worlds and brings to men the knowledge
and wisdom of those realms. Ultimately he also rescues or liberates Persephone,
symbolic of the human soul, from the Underworld or normal limitations imposed
upon it during waking hours by the occultly unvivified physical body.

Like
all basic forces in Nature, kundalini is the manifes­tation of an Intelligence, an Archangel in fact,
though of a nature beyond human comprehension. The picture in part portrays a
glimpse unexpectedly obtained whilst passing through the preparatory stages
which precede meditation. First a living caduceus was seen of intense, fiery
power con­necting earth and sun. Contemplating this, I seemed to become aware
of a Solar Intelligence or Kundalini Devi, some­what as here portrayed.

During
investigations of pre-natal life[122] I constantly became aware of
the presence and ministration of certain types of angels which were assisting
in the dual process of the construction of the new bodies, mental, emotional,
etheric and physical, and the induction into them of the reincarnating Ego.
Though I did not realise it at the time, I have now come to believe that,
during the involutionary arc or descent into incarnation of each life cycle,
these angels perform for every individual a function closely resembling that
carried out on behalf of the race by the Pitris, the so-called ancestors of
man, sometimes occultly referred to as the Satanic Hierarchies.[123]

A
study of these angels revealed them as agents of a great Intelligence which
presides over and directs all maternal processes throughout Nature. The
teachings of occult philo­sophy relate this Being to the Feminine or Mother
Aspect of the Deity, of which. She is a manifestation and a representative.

Matter
itself, universal substance or prakriti, is the arche or womb wherein all worlds gestate, from which all are born and to
which all return. The true World Mother is this primary substance of a universe
when first differentiated from the root of matter or mulaprakriti; for therein reside the
seedsof all living things and the powers of conservation and
reproduction.

When
differentiation occurs at the dawn of Cosmos, following the night of Chaos, the
three Aspects of the pri­mordial Trinity, the Creator, the Preserver and the
Transformer, become self-manifest and creatively active. They are then
represented by lofty divine Intelligences, Powers or Emanations, themselves the
highest fruits of preceding Manvantaras, whose bodies are “of the essence of the higher divine light”.
Intelligences of such a nature, when emanated from root substance, direct the
course of evolution under immutable Law. They are no Beings such as the human
mind can conceive. They constitute both the highest Sephi- rothal Triad and the
Seven which proceed from them, or rather the Spirit behind each. They may
perhaps be described as Very Soul of the Very Soul of the universe.

The
cosmic maternal Principle is universally manifest and its conserving and
reproducing attributes are active throughout all Nature. Physically, it is
expressed both as chemical, negative polarity and as femininity throughout the
whole organic world. It is active within every single cell as also in every
multi-cellular organism. Without it nothing could be conceived and born,
nothing preserved, nothing reproduced. Superphysically, the maternal Principle
is of equal importance. For man, it is the Auric Envelope, the arche of the Spiritual Soul, the Augoeides or Causal Body, the womb
wherein gestate Initiate, Adept, Logos-to-be.

All
nations have recognised, honoured and worshipped this maternal Principle in
Nature. All their exoteric religions have personified it as a Goddess, an
Archangel Mother of universes, races, nations and men. These personifications
of the World Mother are amongst the very noblest concepts of the human mind,
which in creating, reverencing and serving them reaches its highest degree of idealism,
devotion and religious self-expression. Such reverence, such devotion and
such'worship as are offered to World Mothers are therefore worthy of the
deepest respect and, gross superstition apart— ever to be resisted—may usefully
be encouraged. For through human devotion, human beings may be reached from on
high. Through human aspiration, highest love and suppli­cation, man is
susceptible to both his own Spiritual Self and the influence of the Adept
Ministrants of mankind. The Madonna ideal, for example, has been and still is
of incalcu­lable value in consoling, purifying and ennobling humanity. Through
it, a realisation of the Mother-Love of God has been brought within reach of
millions of suffering and aspiring people. The concepts of Kwan Yin, Isis,
Ishtar, Parvati and other Goddesses are similarly founded upon the existence,
nature and function of the same great being. Perhaps because I am a Christian
and the cases I was examining were also Christian, the Madonna-like forms here
pictured presented themselves to my mind.

The
planetary World Mother is conceived in certain schools of occult philosophy as
a highly-evolved Archangel Representative and Embodiment on earth of the
Feminine Aspect of the Deity. She is also thought of as an Adept Official in the
Inner Government of the World, in whom all the highest qualities of womanhood
and motherhood shine forth in their fullest perfection.[124]

Since
she is beyond all limitation of form, no picture can truly represent Her. In
Plate 28 She, in a Madonna-like form, and her ministering angels appear in
close association with a mother and her unborn child as the time of birth draws
near. Plate 29 symbolically portrays her in Her solar aspect, brooding in
divine love over all worlds.

In
reverent salutation to Her as Queen of the Angels, I bring to a close this
illustrated study of the Angelic Hosts.

My previous visits to this great Buddhist
Shrine in Java have been described as having revealed to me the presence of a
very great presiding Angel, conserver and distributor of the power of the
Shrine and source of potent spiritual forces which flow over the Island, of
Java and the surrounding seas. The height of the central figure is probably
from twelve to fifteen feet, but in the case of an Ego which attained Adeptship
as man and then transferred to the Angelic Kingdom, the height of the body is
not an indication of spiritual stature.[125]

The
kindness and generosity of friends in Sourabaya made possible a further visit
in January, 1971. Although not thinking especially of this great Being at the
time, whilst some seven or more miles still separated our party from the Shrine
itself, I again became aware of the presiding presence and power of the Devaraja.[126] In consequence, 1 realised
that its influence is by no means limited to the immediate region of the
Shrine, but in varying degrees reached over the whole of Java and the seas and
Islands far beyond. In addition, great rays of spiritual power shone forth in
many directions throughout the superphysical worlds, as was partly indicated by
the picture in my book.

Having arrived with our
small party at the summit of the Shrine. I sought by meditation again and more
deeply, if it might be, to receive such instruction as the Great Devaraja might deign to give. . .
From his mind to mine there gradually began to flow a stream of ideas
concerning the life, the force and the consciousness of the universe and their
self-expression as angels and as men. This description of the process is not
strictly accurate, however; because during such communication, the sense of
duality is reduced to a minimum. Rather did the two centres of consciousness,
those of the great angel and myself, become almost co­existent, temporarily
forming one “being “within which the stream of ideas arose. This, I believe, is essentially
true of all interchanges which occur above the level of the formal mind, and
especially at those of spiritual Wisdom and spiritual Will. In the latter, it
is assumed, duality virtually disappears and oneness, uttermost interior unity,
alone remains.

The Devarajas and Devas whose consciousnesses and
being are established in the Arupa worlds, are of themselves entirely free of any restrictions of
location, even the idea of which can have little or no place in the higher Manasic, Buddhic and Atmic planes. When, therefore,
one refers to an Arupa Dev a by the name of a physical plane locality or centre, the title can
be either incorrect or misleading, especially if it suggests spatial
limitations which restrict the consciousness established at levels where the
idea or space-location cannot exist.

How,
then, it may be asked, may one permissibly associate an Arupa Deva with a place or even
consecrated Shrine on the physical plane? A brief dissertation on the subject
of Cosmogenesis may perhaps aid one’s understanding or at least partially
answer the question. All Creative Logoi, meaning Emanators of universes, may be
thought of asvoluntarily making a
sacrifice which, in its fullness, is beyond the comprehension of man.

Timelessness,
meaning absolute freedom from time- restrictions, and spacelessness, meaning
absolute freedom from space-restrictions or even the remotest concepts of
either of these—may be thought of as partially surrendered by both Creative
Logoi and the Heads of those Hierarchies of Creative Intelligences who
participate with the Logoi in the procedures of the objective space-time
manifestation of THAT which is eternal and infinite.

One
example of this surrender is an Arupa Deva who, in accordance with the procedures of involution and
evolution and the Directors thereof, agrees to use specially selected places on
Earth as centres through which the powers for which he is agent may reach the
world of forms and so also the Life which is evolving within the restrictions
of form. The very great Devaraja of Borobudor may, I suggest, be regarded as one who long ago
became associated with the great Shrine for such purposes. The Devaraja is in no sense limited to
that particular part or place upon the surface of the planet Earth, but
voluntarily agrees to whatever limitation there may be in order to fulfil the
functions which are assign­ed to it or which it has accepted.

These
are in part to subjugate matter itself, particularly physical matter, to the
rhythmic impact and interpenetra­tion of forces which the Devaraja has “stepped down “from
higher levels. Throughout the ages, this passage of energy through dense
substance gradually reduces its iner­tia and so reduces the resistance of
matter to Spirit, to evolving life and to spiritualising consciousness.

A
second function, I gathered, is to reduce the degree of impenetrability or
resistance to Spirit of the layers or highest sub-planes of matter of each of
the planes of nature. As the ages pass, these barriers gradually become morereadily penetrated by consciousness, this being one of the effects
of the energy or “driving force “which the Deva directs into the substance
of the rupa planes.

A
third function consists of the subjection of the indwel­ling and. evolving Life
to the receipt and passage through it of energies which “awaken “it to
gradually increased interior and external sensitivity and responses, thereby
quickening the evolutionary processes. This third, function is more especially
helpful to the Life evolving through the organic kingdoms than the inorganic,
although all Nature is stimulated and its evolution hastened by the Angelic
Hosts. Thus, the “Devaraja of Borobudor “may be thought of as of planetary or terrene
evolutionary stature and in no sense limited in consciousness to the great
Shrine.

Such
in part are thoughts which arose in my mind as I meditated on the summit of
Borobudor.

“The Gods await the conscious re-union of the mind of man with the
Universal Mind. Humanity awakens slowly. Matter-blinded through centuries, few
men as yet perceive the mind within the substance, the life within the form.

“In
search of power and wealth, men have traversed the whole earth, have penetrated
the wilds, scaled the peaks and conquered the polar wastes. Let them now seek
within the form, scale the heights of their own consciousness, penetrate its
depth, in search of that inner Power and Life by which alone they may become
strong in will and spiritually enriched.

“He
who thus throws open his life and mind to the Uni­versal Life and Mind
indwelling in all things will enter into union therewith and to him the Gods
will appear.”

GEOFFREY HODSON was born and educated
in England. During the First World War he served with distinction in the British
Army and afterwards became actively interested in Theosophical studies. He
carried out occult research in collaboration with medical men, physicists,
anthropologists and archeologists.

For some sixty years Mr Hodson
lectured for the Theosophical Society, speaking in America, England, Europe,
South Africa, India, New Zealand, Australia and the Far East. He was the author
of about forty Theosophical and other books, dealing with such topics as medi­tation,
the spiritual life, health and disease, and the life and powers of the
occultist. He carried out special and first-hand investigation of fairies and
angelic evolution.

Mr Hodson was four times Director of
Studies at the School of the Wisdom at the International Headquarters of the
Theosophical Society, Adyar, Chennai.

He was awarded the Subba Row Medal in
1954 for his contri­butions to Theosophical literature.

For
information on
Theosophy and the Theosophical Society
please read on.

The
Theosophical Society, founded in 1875, is a worldwide body whose primary object
is Universal Brotherhood based on the realization that life, in all its diverse
forms, human and non­human, is indivisibly One. The Society imposes no belief
on its members, who are united by a common search for truth and the desire to
learn the meaning and purpose of existence by engaging themselves in study,
reflection, purity of life and loving service.

Theosophy
is the wisdom underlying all religions when they are stripped of accretions and
superstitions. It offers a philosophy which renders life intelligible and
demonstrates that justice and love guide the cosmos. Its teachings contribute
to the unfolding of the latent spiritual nature in the human being, without
dependence or fear.

[3]Logos,
Greek. The manifested Deity who speaks the creative Word whereby universes
spring into being and life. The outward expression of the Causeless Cause which
is ever concealed. Adapted from Vol. 6, The Secret Doctrine and The Theosophical
Glossary, H. P. Blavatsky.

[5]The
masculine is used for convenience only, such Intelligences being asexual,
though of dual polarity, the apparent preponderance of one or other “sex”
varying in different Orders.

[6] In this case, also,
the masculine is used for convenience only, the Divine Principle— in no sense a
Person—being regarded as equally masculine, feminine and androgyne Father,
Mother and Son in one Supernal Power.

[19]According
to occult philosophy, Solar Systems in obedience to a universal, cyclic law
emerge, pass into obscuration and re-emerge perpetually. Each new “creation”
continues the evolutionary process from the stage attained at the close of the
preceding era. These periods of obscuration and manifestation are known as
“Nights” and “Days”, in Sanskrit Pralayas and Manvantaras

[29]Karma,
Sanskrit. The universal law of cause and effect, which guides unerringly all
other laws productive of certain effects along the grooves of their respective
causations. This law operates not only during a single life, but throughout
successive lives, the condi­tions and opportunities of which are the exact
effects of causes generated in preceding in­carnations. Absolute justice is by
this law assured to every human being. Cf. Galatians, VI, 7.

[30] The three basic
qualities of all matter—activity, inertia and rhythm. Vide A Study in Consciousness,
Annie Besant, T. P. H., Adyar.

[31]Chakra,
Sanskrit, a wheel or a circle. A spinning vortex in the etheric, astral, mental
and higher bodies of man, each of which has seven chakras. Vide The Chakras, C.
W. Leadbeater, T. P. H., Adyar. The almost anglicised “chakra”
which is the substan­tive is used in the text throughout. Chakram is
the nominative and the accusative singular.

[35] A septenary system of
superphysical and physical planets, seven of which are repre­sented physically
by Venus, Vulcan, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus and the Earth. Vide The
Solar System, A. E. Powell, T. P. H., London

[42] Masculine for
convenience only, though the male was suggested in the virility and power of
the face, form and influence of this particular God, as indeed of all mountain
Gods which I have seen.

[43] Though such
communication is purely mental, words, and even an impression of vocal timbre,
are sometimes conveyed to the brain.

[44] The universe consists
of seven worlds or planes, each composed of matter of seven degrees of density;
the physical and etheric combine to form the densest, followed in order by the
astral, mental, intuitional, spiritual and two others as yet beyond the range
of human consciousness. Vide An Outline of Theosophy, C. W. Leadbeater,
and First Principles of Theosophy, C. Jinarajadasa, T. P. H., Adyar.

[51] Part of the subject
matter under this heading appeared in my book, The Coming of ‘he Angels,
now out of print, published by Rider & Co by whose kind permission it is
'ncluded in a revised form in this work.

[52] The time during which
the seven Races of men in succession occupy a planet in one °und. Vide The
Solar System, A. E. Powell, T. P. H., London

[53]Dharma,
Sanskrit. Duty, task, destiny, right fulfilment, general contribution to and
place in the scheme of life.

[54] See footnote 2, p. 27.
The adverse or favourable reaction resulting from conduct, e.g.,
ill-treatment of indigent populations of colonised countries produces adverse karma,
whilst help rendered to necessitous peoples generates favourable karma.
Since both are educative, all karma is ultimately beneficent.

[55] In occult science, the
Solar System is said to consist of ten Planetary Schemes, each composed of
seven successive Chains of globes, superphysical and physical. Each Chain is

[56]Composed of seven
Rounds, during each of which the life-stream, bearing with it the evolving
beings, travels once round the seven globes. The period of occupation of one of
the seven globes is called a world period. Vide The Solar System, A. E.
Powell. Vide The Masters and the Path, C. W. Leadbeater, T. P. H.,
Adyar.

[57] For a fuller
description of the ministry of the angels in the Christian Church, see The
Science of the Sacraments C. W. Leadbeater, and The Inner Side of Church
Worship, Geoffrey Hodson

[63]Rupa, arupa,
Sanskrit. Form and formless, referring to the levels respectively be­low and
above the fourth subplane of the mental plane. In the former, the tendency to
assume shape preponderates over rhythm and in the latter rhythm or the free
flow of life Predominates. Angels of the rupa planes present more
definitely to human consciousness the idea of bodily form than do those of arupa
levels.

[64] Vide Part III, Chapter
V, “Inverse Sephiras and the Problem of Evil”.

[66] Part of the subject
matter under this heading appeared in my book, The Coming of the Angels,
now out of print, published by Rider & Co., by whose kind permission it is
included in a revised form in this work.

[68] Part of the subject
matter under this heading appeared in my book, The Coming of the Angels,
now out of print, published by Rider & Co., by whose kind permission it is
included in a revised form in this work.

[69] As before stated, the
masculine pronoun is used for convenience only, angels being asexual

[72] Lemuria andAtlantis are names given to continents now submerged
beneath the acific and Atlantic Oceans respectively. They were the homes of the
third and fourth of the seven major Races of men to occupy this planet. The
present Aryan Race and language group is the fifth of these. The first two
Races, being on the downward arc wore superphysical and etheric bodies only.
Vide The Solar System,
A. E. Powell, T.P. H., London

[73] Vide Fairies, E. L. Gardner, and especially
the photograph of a so-called gnome, a sketch of which appeals on the previous
page, T. P. H., London.

[75] Part
of the subject matter under this and the following headings in this Chapter
appeared in my book, Fairies
at Work and at Play, published by the Theosophical Publish­ing
House, 68 Great Russell Street, London, W. C. 1, by whose kind permission it is
inclu­ded in a revised form in this work.

[76] Later investigations
have brought some additional knowledge concerning the func­tion of the nature
spirits. This is included in Part I, Chapter III.

[77] Later
experience suggests that this little fellow was a woodland elf rather than a
brownie.

[91] Usually spelt in Kabbalism with a “K”
rather than “Ch “and so pronounced

[92]A term from the Ancient Mysteries denoting the process
of the creation, preservation and transformation to perfection of the universe
and man. Microcosmicaliy, it is the emancipation of the human will, the full
development and conquest of ail man’s faculties and the transmutation of all
that is gross into that which is pure. In material alchemy the Great Work
includes the separation of the subtle from the gross and the transmutation of
base metals into gold. Mystically, the Great Work consists of a corresponding
interior achievement by which the glory of the spiritual light is obtained and
all darkness is dis­pelled for ever. Vide Transcendental
Magic, E. Levi. Chapter XII.

[97]guna, Sanskrit. The
three divisions of the inherent qualities of differentiated matter, Rajas, activity and
desire; sattva, balance and pure quiescence; tamas, inertia,
stagnation, and decay. These correspond to the three aspects of the various
Trinities, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva respectively.

[110]The
Liturgy of the Liberal Catholic Church was used; St. Albans Press, 30 Gordon
Street, London, W. C. 1. The description given is not to be regarded as an
advocacy of Catholicism, but only as a record of attempted observation of some
of the superphysical effects of the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist. The
Theosophist studies comparative religion and finds a certain group of ideas to
be common to all world faiths and the exclu­sive possession of none of them.

[117] For a full description
of this process as it occurs in the animal kingdom, vide The Causal Body, A. E. Powell, T.
P.
H., London

[118]Followers of other Religions will
here substitute the name used in their Faiths for the Source of healing life
and power, whether universal or individual, solar or planetary. Buddhists and
Hindus may decide, for example, to invoke the aid of “The Lord of Loving
Kindness”, known in both Faiths as the Lord Maitreya, the Supreme Teacher of
Angels and of Men the Bodhisattva.

[119]Vide Man and His
BodiesandThe Soul and Its Vestures, A.
Besant, and Many Visible and Invisible, C. W.
Leadbeater, T. P. H., Adyar.

[120]Akasha, Sanskrit, the subtle, supersensuous spiritual essence which
pervades all space; a fifth element or principle in Nature, as yet undiscovered
by physical science; the aether of the ancients; the substratum and cause of
sound. Vide The Theosophical Glossary, H. P. Blavatsky, Akasa, Azoth,
Kundalini.